


Valentine's Day

by Skater2



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-21
Updated: 2013-05-28
Packaged: 2017-12-09 03:12:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 23,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/769299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skater2/pseuds/Skater2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine’s Day - Everyone on the BAU team has plans for celebrating the day.  However, when Section Chief Erin Strauss goes missing, all those plans are put on hold.  The question soon arises, however, of whether the unsub really wants Strauss or are they actually after another member of the team?  Also, when Reid finally discovers the truth about Christine, will it destroy his trust in the other members of his team?  </p><p>Sequal to Things Are Seldom What They Seem and Back Roads</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I lay no claim to Criminal Minds and/or it's characters. I am only borrowing them for a short while and promise to return them in good shape.
> 
> I know I am a bit late in getting this posted, but the characters wouldn't cooperate -

Section Chief Erin Strauss pulled into the parking structure for the Southern Virginia Rehab Center. She was familiar with the facility and was thankful for its discretion in protecting their patients’ privacy. She had stayed there in the past and, on this Friday afternoon before Valentine’s Day, was arriving for an intensive, weekend long, group therapy session.

She had no problem finding a parking space and soon had her car secured in the enclosed structure. As Strauss began the familiar walk into the building she began wondering why, if there was a weekend long group session scheduled, there weren’t more cars parked there. Continuing into the building, when she reached the check-in desk, she saw a man seated in the Receptionist’s area. Strange, every time she had been there previously, the receptionist had been a woman. Walking up to the desk, she introduced herself, “Erin Meiers, here for the weekend session.” Everyone here was encouraged to use an alias. Only the administration office knew everyone’s real identity.

“Let me check,” the man replied as he began pushing keys on the computer.

“Oh, yes,” he said after a moment. “If you could just go around that corner and into the first room on your right, we can get started on your paperwork.”

“You already have all my paperwork,” Strauss objected.

“Well, apparently there is something missing,” the man told her. “Please?” He pointed towards the corner.

As Erin Strauss entered the indicated room, the last thing she remembered was thinking, “Incompetence!!”


	2. Sunday Is What?

It was early Friday afternoon and the BAU team was hard at work. They had been dealing with cases and consults for three weeks straight, and were looking forward to having the weekend off. All they needed to do was complete their assigned files.

Reid finished first and as he stood up to leave, Morgan looked up at him. “Hey there, Pretty Boy, care to give me a hand?”

Reid shook his head. “Sorry. I have plans.”

“Plans?” Morgan’s ears perked up. “And what exactly does that involve? A Star Trek marathon? A new antique book being delivered to the university? Free coffee at your favorite coffee shop?”

Reid smiled to himself as he dug into his messenger bag. “Dr. Who,” he mumbled.

“Dr. Who?”’ Morgan repeated. “On Valentine’s Day, you are going to a Dr. Who marathon?”

“No,” Reid gave up. “I’m going out to The Institute to see Christine. A friend of hers in England sent her some DVD’s that are only available over there. The Institute is having some remodeling done so it has been closed for the past week. We should be able to watch them without any interruptions. Valentine’s Day?”

“Yes,” Blake contributed from her desk. “On Sunday. Don’t tell me you didn’t realize?”

“The origins of Valentine’s Day are questionable, as there are at least three Catholic saints with that name. Some believe Valentine’s Day is actually an update of the Roman festival of Lupercalia,” Reid began and then faltered.

“Oh, Darn!” he groaned. “Am I supposed to do something for Valentine’s Day?”

“Of course!” Morgan replied. “You do like Christine, don’t you?”

“What exactly am I supposed to do?” Reid demanded.

“Well, regardless of where my husband is, he always makes sure I get flowers,” Blake told him. “My neighbor already called earlier today to tell me she had accepted the delivery.”

“Chocolates,” JJ spoke up from her desk where she had been listening. “Take her some chocolates. Everyone likes chocolate.”

“But not a cheap, Valentine’s Day special,” Garcia had left her lair and joined the group. “Christine is a classy lady who deserves some really special, quality chocolates.”

“Oh, no!” Morgan contributed. “If you really want to get some honey this weekend, you need to go all out. Some jewelry comes to mind – or perfume.”

“That boutique at the next Metro stop is having a sale,” Garcia spoke up. “They have some really great perfumes.”

Reid looked around frantically and noticed that Rossi was still in his office. He headed up the stairs.

After knocking at the door, he pushed it open and stepped inside. “Rossi,” he began. “You have a lot of experience with Valentine’s Day, don’t you?”


	3. The Truth Is Out

When Reid reached the top of the stairs of the Metro stop, he paused to catch his breath, rearrange his many packages, and look around. One of the first things he saw was Christine, dressed in tight black trousers and a cream-colored ski sweater, perched on the hood of a black sedan, reading. He couldn’t help noticing the bright red scarf she had wrapped around her neck. It made him glad he had listened to Garcia and put on the bright red and blue striped tie she had found for him to wear. 

Christine looked up and saw him. Smiling, she marked her place in the book and carefully closed it before jumping off the hood and running over to greet him.

“Spencer!” she called out. Reid noticed that several of the men who had gotten off the train with him were eyeing her appreciatively.

“What the heck?” she asked as she viewed his various bags and packages. “You look like you are running away from home!”

“Everyone said because it was Valentine’s Day I needed to bring you something,” he began his explanation. “JJ said chocolates, and Blake said flowers, and Dave said a bottle of wine, and I – I – I just didn’t know,” he ended helplessly.

“Oh, Spencer,” Christine was trying hard not to laugh. “You really shouldn’t listen to all of them. They mean well, and these things are nice, and it was really sweet of you to make the effort, but all I really want is for you and me to spend some time together, alone. We never get to do that!”

“Oh – But they all said -“ Reid was floundering.

“Let’s find a place in the car for all these packages,” Christine continued, steering him over to the vehicle. She opened the back door and Reid could see that the seat was already full of shopping bags and boxes of printer paper. “I’ve been picking up supplies for The Institute, so it’s going to be a tight fit. There should be room on the floor.”

Christine quickly had most of Reid’s packages, and his go bag, stashed in the back seat. “Okay, that seems to work,” she commented turning to him. “I’m afraid you are going to have to take the rest in the front seat with you. Are those flowers anthuriums?” The wrapping had fallen off the bouquet.

“They – they are the only red flowers I could get on short notice,” Reid stuttered as he climbed into the passenger seat. “Everyone said I should get red and white flowers, and that’s all that was left.”

“Well, they make a very bold statement - So original!!” Christine enthused. “I love them and I know just where I am going to put them! Now, are you all packed in?”

Christine confidently walked around the car, climbed in, and started the luxury vehicle. As they drove the short distance back to The Institute, Reid noticed that she not only handled the large car well, but seemed to take all its comforts for granted. He remembered her amusing story concerning her first car, and wondered how long it had been since she had been in a car that didn’t seem to drive itself.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Christine commented as she maneuvered the car under the portico at the front of The Institute.

“Just thinking about the car,” Reid replied truthfully.

“Well, I’m glad it doesn’t belong to me,” Christine laughed. “I’d hate to have to pay for it, insure it, put gas in it, and worry about the maintenance for it. The way it is, I just drive it when I’m running errands for The Institute.”

Two groundskeepers rushed over and swung open both Christine’s and Reid’s doors. Reid felt a little awkward as he more or less fell out of his side of the car. He noticed how Christine swung her legs out and seemed to take for granted the assistance she received.

“Great, you guys are still here!” she told the two burley men. “If you could, please, the boxes and packages in the trunk go to the kitchen. The stuff in the back seat goes to my office. Be careful, some of the boxes are heavy and I don’t want you hurting yourselves. When you’re done, garage the car, and leave for the weekend. Go enjoy Valentine’s Day with your significant other.”

“Don’t worry about us, Miss Heather,” the taller of the two assured her. “We’ll handle everything. And, thanks. We’ll see you on Monday!”

Reid had been busily gathering his packages from the back seat floor. He looked up. “You have an office?” he asked curiously.

“Of course,” Christine seemed puzzled. “Where else would I keep my computer, and the accounting records, and the personnel files, and everything?”

“That’s right,” she remembered. “You’ve never seen it. I know Aaron and Alex were there, but you were busy working with Garcia. We’ll take a detour on the way to the suite and stop in so I can show it to you.”

She took several of his packages, and led the way down the hall. Stopping in front of one of the doors, she pulled out a keycard and opened it. Reid realized the room faced the side of the building and boasted a view of the gardens.

“See,” Christine said cheerfully as she led him into the office. “It’s strictly functional, nothing fancy, but it’s mine. I can close the door and get my work done.”

Reid looked around at the desk, easy chairs and couch. “You handle all that work – the accounting and everything – besides – um – working with the students?” he asked.

“Working with the students?” Christine looked at him, puzzled. “Spencer, I don’t deal with the students. I handle the accounting and the personnel issues. I rarely come into contact with the students.”

Reid’s eyes opened as he realized what she was telling him. “You mean, you don’t – “ he began.

“Oh my gosh, Spencer! Is that what the problem has been all this time? Why you have been keeping such a distance?” Christine asked. “You thought I was ‘providing special services’ to the students? I’m just the accountant and the HR person. Didn’t you know that?”

“Nobody ever told me,” Reid was stunned. 

“Miss Lilly told everyone that at our first meeting,” Christine reminded him. Then she paused, “Oh, Oh – You and JJ were parking the SUV. You weren’t in the room at the time. And, nobody ever told you? I have a bone to pick with Aaron and Dave! Where is my phone???” She started reaching into her pocket.

“Let it go for now,” Reid looked at her, his expression hard to read. “I’ll handle it. Don’t worry - I will handle it!”

“If that’s what you want,” Christine relented. “Right now, let’s go down to the suite. I’ve got everything set up in the corner suite your team stayed in where you were here working. I had my guys move the large flat screen in there, and set it up with the DVD player. I also got some hors d’oeuvres and food for dinner from the kitchen. We should be all set for the weekend!”


	4. Alone At Last

They were soon in the suite of rooms Reid remembered from his previous visit, with Christine digging through the cupboards in the kitchenette looking for a flower vase. 

“It’s almost like coming home, isn’t it?” she asked, when she noticed Reid glancing around. “I did get the lock replaced on the sliding glass door, though,” she added.

“It is awfully familiar,” Reid agreed, depositing his packages on the end table. He gestured toward his go bag. “Where should I --?”

“Just put it in one of the bedrooms,” Christine suggested. “I assume you won’t need anything in there for a while.”

As Reid walked into the bedroom, she put his flowers into a vase and placed it prominently on the coffee table in front of the couch. She then returned to the kitchenette and put a tray of hors d’oeuvres into the microwave.

“You’re cooking?” Reid asked sniffing, as he returned to the living room.

“Just the microwave,” Christine explained. “My chef keeps a supply of tasty tidbits in the freezer. I liberated a selection of them, and am heating them up for us to munch on while we get started with Dr. Who. I also have our dinner waiting to be heated up later on. Why don’t you see if you can get the system up and running?”

Reid went over to the system and began examining it. “It looks like it is ready to go,” he commented. “Which DVD would you like to start with?”

“Well, they are all here in a stack on the coffee table,” Christine had moved to the couch and was sitting within easy reach of the snacks she had arranged there. “Why don’t we go through them and see which one is the earliest? We can watch them in chronological order.”

Reid walked over and sat down next to her. As they were examining the pile of DVDs, reading and commenting on the labels, Reid’s cell phone rang.

“That’s strange,” he commented as he checked the screen. “The team is supposed to be off this weekend.”

“Hotch?” he answered the call. “What? Are you sure? Of course. I’m out at The Institute with Christine. If you’re going to be going past here, why don’t you just pick me up on the way?”

He turned back to Christine. “I have to go,” he said. “Our Division Chief, Erin Strauss appears to have gone missing.”


	5. Calling Agent Hotchner

SSA Aaron Hotchner hadn’t made any plans for Valentine’s Day. His son, Jack, had activities at school, of course, but his girlfriend, Beth, was scheduled to be out of town for the art gallery.

He and Jack were just sitting down to dinner, when his cell phone rang. Hotch glanced curiously at the screen, wondering if Beth was calling to wish him an early Happy Valentine’s Day. Or, maybe, she was back in town and on her way over. That was strange - The screen indicated it was his Section Chief, Erin Strauss. The team was supposed to be off for the weekend.

“Hotch,” he answered the call. 

“Aaron, it’s not what it is supposed. It’s not here. They have me . . . “ The voice waivered, and then a scream, and the phone went dead.

It was definitely Erin Strauss’ voice, Hotch was certain of that. But, what was she trying to tell him?

Quickly, he made his decision. Better to error on the side of caution than to risk his supervisor’s life. He started making calls.


	6. We Are Going to do What?

It was evening when most of the BAU team gathered in their conference room. The various styles of clothing worn by Rossi (smoking jacket over jeans), JJ (dressy top with black trousers and flats), Blake (painters pants with oversized man’s shirt, both covered with paint), Morgan (black leather jacket over a black turtleneck and jeans), and Hotch (cranberry fleece top and jeans) indicated that they had all been called away from various personal activities.

“Thank you for coming in so quickly on such short notice,” Hotch was standing in his usual place at the front of the room. “About an hour ago, I received a phone call from Section Chief Strauss. The connection wasn’t good and I couldn’t hear her very clearly because she seemed to be whispering, but it appeared she was asking for help.”

“Isn’t she supposed to be away at a ‘retreat’?” Rossi asked.

“Yes, I heard she was scheduled for a session at the rehab clinic,” Hotch confirmed. “However, when I called the clinic she wasn’t there and they assured me that there is no group session scheduled for this weekend.”

“Okay,” Garcia, wearing a sequenced top and bright pink skirt, bustled into the room. “I checked the calls received on your cell phone, Oh Great Boss, and about an hour ago you did receive a call from Strauss’ cell phone. Checking further, I determined that said call was placed from a cell phone located close to the – The Rehab Clinic??”

“That’s okay, Garcia” Hotch told her. “Everybody here is aware of where Strauss was going this weekend. Were you able to pull up an audio of the call?”

“Of course,” Garcia told him smugly. She already had her computer out on the table, and she pushed several buttons. The call played back, exactly as Hotch remembered it.

“Unfortunately, when I tried to clean it up there didn’t seem to be any background noise to isolate,” Garcia apologized. “Of course, I will be trying again using another, more advanced technique.” 

“Do that,” Hotch instructed her. “Also, see if you can find anything about this group session Strauss was planning on attending. She must have gotten the information from somewhere. The rehab clinic says they have nothing on their schedule, so you will probably have to check her computer files.”

“You do realize, don’t you, Sir, that that will most likely involve breaking into her computer?” Garcia asked hesitantly. 

“I realize that, but it needs to be done,” Hotch reassured her. “Now, about the call itself.”

“She says ‘It’s not what it is supposed to be’“, Rossi began dissecting the audio. “I would assume she was referring to the session she thought she was arriving for.”

“Also, ‘It’s not here’,” Blake contributed. “That could be anything from a lost car to – Who knows?” She looked around. “Where’s Reid?”

“He is out at The Institute with Christine,” Hotch told her. “We’re going to stop and pick him up on our way to the rehab clinic.”

“‘They have me’ That’s pretty clear. But who are ‘They’ “ Morgan asked. “Who would want to grab Erin Strauss?”

“Any number of people,” JJ huffed. “And, they would probably have to get in line to do it!”

“Okay, so she’s not a very popular person,” Hotch agreed. “But then, so are a lot of the people we deal with. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be putting our best effort into getting this straightened out.”

“Hotch, the majority of those unpopular people are the unsubs,” Morgan pointed out. “In this case, it’s the victim.”

“That doesn’t make any difference,” Hotch argued. “We still need to find Strauss.”

“The sooner the better,” JJ opinioned. “Then we can get back to our own weekend plans.”

“Our best bet is to head out to the clinic and see what we can find,” Morgan was ready for action.

“Right,” Hotch agreed. “Blake and Rossi, you go with Morgan and head straight to the clinic. JJ and I will swing by The Institute, pick up Reid, and meet you out there. Garcia, get hacking!!”


	7. A Catered Dinner

At The Institute, Christine and Reid were discussing dinner, or, rather, the lack thereof.

“Spencer, you can’t go out on a case hungry!” Christine insisted. “I already have these hors d’oeuvres heated up, you can take them with you and I’ll round up some soft drinks for you.”

“I can’t show up with just enough food for me,” Reid argued. “Everyone would try to take it and I still wouldn’t get anything to eat. Remember how JJ tried to steal my sandwich?”

“I have vivid memories of that tussle,” Christine laughed. “If I remember right, you both ended up losing because Aaron claimed a share. Tell you what, let’s go raid the kitchen. I am sure we can come up with enough food for everyone on your team.”

Going through the well-stocked kitchen, they quickly found the ingredients for sandwiches for the team, as well as more packages of frozen hors d’oeuvres, which they heated up in the microwave. When Hotch and JJ pulled the SUV under the portico of The Institute, they were surprised to see Reid and Christine emerge from the building carrying several insulated bags.

“What - ??” Hotch questioned.

“I don’t know about you,” Christine told him. “But Spencer hasn’t had dinner, so I made up some sandwiches for him to eat on the way. There are extras, as well as snacks and drinks for everyone.”

“Sounds good to me,” JJ wasted no time appropriating one of the bags. “I’m not about to turn down food from your kitchen! I remember last time we were here.”

“Well, we’ll have to take turns driving and eating,” Hotch wasn’t about to argue with two hungry agents. “And, the two of you had better make sure I get my share!”

“Spence is going to drive?” JJ asked tentatively.

“I’ll have you know I have never gotten a ticket or had an accident,” Reid told her as he climbed into the back seat.

“Yeah, and we all know why,” Hotch replied dryly.

“Just stay safe,” Christine requested as she helped Reid pack the remaining insulated bags into the back seat.


	8. We're Here, Now What?

After an hour’s drive, Morgan arrived at the rehab center, which, he noticed, was located on a four lane, asphalt road in a rural area. Open fields extended several hundred feet on all sides, and then merged into woods. After driving past the building, he made a U-turn and pulled the vehicle off onto the shoulder of the road. Looking at Rossi in the passenger seat he asked, “How do you want to play this?”

“Well, we could always brazen it out,” Rossi suggested. “Just pull up to the front door, walk in, and ask to see Erin Strauss.”

“Is it possible she goes in under a pseudonym?” Blake asked from the back seat. “We wouldn’t know who to ask for.”

“Also, they could hide behind patient confidentiality,” Morgan anticipated.

“We won’t know until we try,” Rossi declared. “Pull up under the front portico and let’s see what happens.”

Morgan put the vehicle into gear and pulled into the clinic’s front drive. They had no sooner come to a complete stop than a guard emerged from the building and approached them.

“Can I help you folks?” he inquired.

“FBI,” Morgan flashed his badge. “We are looking for a patient who may have been admitted here this evening.”

“No one has been admitted today,” the guard told them. “And, even if someone was, I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”

“Is it okay if we come in and talk to someone in Administration?” Rossi asked.

“There isn’t anyone here. They have all left for the day,” the guard replied. “And, I am under instructions not to let anyone in – or out.”

“We are the FBI!” Blake reminded him. 

“Do you have a search warrant?” the guard seemed to have suddenly remembered protocol.

Rossi cursed the numerous crime shows on TV. Everyone today seemed to know about the paperwork involved in checking a suspected crime scene.

“We can get one,” Morgan told him.

“Great. Why don’t you do that and then come back?” the guard suggested. “And, until you have that search warrant, why don’t you get off the property?”

Morgan drew a deep breath and put the SUV into gear. As he pulled out of the drive, he checked his rear view mirror and watched as the guard pulled out a cell phone and made a call.


	9. What???

When Erin Strauss regained consciousness, she noticed two things. First, her head hurt horribly. Second, she couldn’t see. The darkness she found herself surrounded by was absolute, and she remembered Reid’s aversion to darkness. For the first time, she understood it.

Moving slowly and carefully, she sat up and began trying to determine where she was. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she found she could make out the four walls. She was apparently sitting on a low bed or elevated cushion, while the surface under her feet felt like dirt. When she explored the floor further with her hands, she confirmed it. Standing and reaching up, she couldn’t touch a ceiling, but she did have the impression that it wasn’t far beyond her reach. Following the walls, she carefully worked her way around the perimeter of the small room, noting that it was of cement block construction. The only break in the walls she could locate was an area that appeared to be a door, which didn’t yield to her efforts to open it.

Discouraged, she sat back down on the bed to think. As she sat there, she realized that she was still wearing her light spring jacket. If she remembered correctly, she had put her cell phone in the pocket. She put her hand into the pocket and nearly screamed when it made contact with the device. Pulling it out, she pushed the button that lit up the screen. Quickly, she pushed the speed dial number for Aaron Hotchner.

As she was waiting for the call to go through, she thought she heard a noise outside the room. Just as Aaron answered his phone, the door burst open and a huge man rushed into the small room. All she had time to say was, “Aaron, it’s not what it is supposed to be. It’s not here - They have me - .“ before the phone was snatched viciously from her hand and smashed to the floor.

“Great,” a man’s voice whispered in her ear. “Now that the trap has been set, let’s see who walks into it.”

She felt the hair on the top of her head being pulled up, bringing her into a standing position. “Now, let’s get you out of here,” the raspy voice stated.


	10. An Upset Reid Is Not A Happy Reid!

Morgan drove until he was out of sight of the rehab center and then pulled over onto the shoulder of the road. “Any suggestions?” he asked.

Rossi got out his cell phone and began dialing. “When in doubt, call in the expert,” he told him. “Garcia,” he spoke into the phone. “What have you found?”

“Oh, I have found many great and wondrous things, my favorite Italian” Garcia assured him. “Let’s start with the rehab center itself.”

“I would never admit it in public,” Garcia continued. “But I did manage to check their current patient list. It appears they haven’t checked anybody in today. However, after a trip through their patient files it appears that one Ms. Meirs has been a patient there in the past. Further checking reveals that this Ms.Meirs is indeed our Section Chief Erin Strauss!”

As Rossi spoke with Garcia, the second SUV pulled up along the driver’s side and Hotch rolled down his window.

“Find anything?” he asked Morgan.

“We found out that the guards on the property aren’t too friendly,” Morgan reported. “They wanted a search warrant before they would even talk to us. Rossi has Garcia on the phone right now, seeing what she has found out. Are you eating? And, is Reid driving?”

“Well,” JJ smiled at him from the back seat, “It seems Reid hadn’t had dinner yet and Christine sent some food along for him – and for us.”

“Does ‘Us’, include ‘Us over here in the other vehicle’?” Morgan asked, eyeing the insulated bag she was holding. 

“Do you mean food from The Institute’s chef?” Blake followed up. “I have fond memories of the last time we ate his food.”

“Yes to both,” JJ told them as she handed over the bag. “She sent some drinks along as well.”

“Reid, My Man, you need to hang onto that woman!” Morgan enthused. “She is something else!”

“Yeah! Too bad I didn’t know it sooner!” Reid snapped at him from the driver’s seat.

“What do you mean by that?” Morgan asked, confused at the outburst.

“I mean that I don’t appreciate being made a fool of!!!” Reid exploded. “Or, did you guys think it was funny? Not telling me about her!”

“Reid, what are you talking about?” Hotch stared at the young agent, clearly confused. “What didn’t we tell you?”

“About Christine,” Reid was sputtering. “About what she does at The Institute. That – that she’s the Accountant. All this time I thought she was a – you know – a call girl who provided ‘special services’ to the students, doing, well – Who knows what!”

“You didn’t know?” Rossi looked at him, obviously stunned. “Miss Lilly told us all about her when we had our first meeting.”

“Oh, No!” JJ moaned. “Reid and I were out parking the SUV. Hotch told me later, and I assumed someone had told Spence. You mean no one ever told you? Spence, I am so, so sorry!”

“And that makes it all right?” Reid demanded as he turned to glare at her. 

“No, it doesn’t,” Blake admitted. “But I promise - We will find a way to make it up to you when this is all over with!”

“Let’s just get it over with!” Reid declared angrily, crossing his arms on his chest and staring out the SUV’s front window.


	11. Who Would Want Strauss?

“Okay - Time Out!” Hotch called an end to the bickering. “We need to concentrate on getting Strauss back. Then, we can settle any other outstanding issues. The first thing is finding out how we can get into the rehab center. You said they gave you trouble when you tried the front door?”

“That’s right,” Morgan affirmed. “Maybe we need to get into combat mode, and try an approach from the rear.”

“It is dark out,” Blake observed. “Do you think we could sneak up and in unnoticed?”

“Garcia,” Hotch called out. “Can you find out where the outside security cameras are located?”

“If you will quit arguing long enough to listen,” the tech told him. “Well, maybe not you, Sir, but everyone else there. It really upsets me when you guys fight.”

“Sorry, Garcia,” JJ apologized. “We’ll try to do better.”

“That’s all I ask,” Garcia replied. “As for security cameras, there are six of them focused on the grounds of the building, and one on each floor of the parking structure. That’s strange!”

“What do you see?” Hotch asked.

“Strauss’ car is in the parking structure, on the second level,” Garcia reported. “Apparently, whoever took her didn’t plan very well.”

“Either that, or they want us to know she’s missing,” was Rossi’s theory. 

“Or, maybe they are trying to lure us in,” Blake suggested. “They may have left it there as bait.”

“Are we even sure Strauss is still in the building?” Hotch asked. “They have had plenty of time to move her.”

“Let me review the security tapes and see if anyone or anything left the building,” Garcia suggested. “This will take a while, so I’ll have to call you back. Oh, by the way, I’ve been working on the tape from her phone call, checking on background noises.”

“Did you find anything?” Rossi questioned.

“Nothing!” Garcia told him. “Apparently, she was someplace with very good soundproofing.”

“Okay, Thanks! We’ll be waiting to hear from you, Baby Girl,” Morgan told her as she clicked off.

“One thing I have been wondering about,” JJ commented. “Why would anyone outside of The Bureau grab Struass??? Granted, she’s not a very popular person with some of the people inside the organization, but who has she offended on the outside? It’s not like she tracks people down and arrests them or anything.”

“You’re suggesting that we’re looking at an unsub from within The Bureau?” Blake questioned.

“Or, someone who wants to draw out another member of The Bureau,” Rossi thought out loud. “Think about it. When she made the call saying that she had been abducted, it was a given that a team would be dispatched. Seeing as how she called Aaron, it was an intelligent guess that it would probably be us. The question now becomes, which one of us is this unsub after?”

“Assuming it is one of us, and not a member of another team,” Morgan added. “Pretty Boy? What has that overdeveloped brain of yours come up with?”

Reid glared at him. “You really expect me to help you?” he questioned angrily.

“Reid!” Hotchner scolded his youngest agent.

“Okay,” Reid acquiesced. “What I think, is that we need a place to set up. We can’t run this ‘rescue mission’ out of two SUVs parked next to the road!”

“Spoken like a true genius!” Rossi applauded him. “Does anyone have anything better to suggest?”

“We could try a local hotel,” Blake suggested. “Considering that what we are considering doing probably isn’t too terribly legal, I am sure we don’t want to involve the local LEOS.”

“At least not yet,” Hotch agreed as he took out his cell phone. “Let me see what I can find in the area.”


	12. Who Wants Whom?

After a bit of discussion on the phone, Hotch closed the instrument and turned to his team. “Okay, we have a meeting room and several hotel rooms reserved at the Stoney Creek Inn,” he told them. “It’s only about five miles from here and we should be able to get back and forth between there and the rehab center without any problem. Directions are being sent to my phone.”

“Sounds good,” Morgan approved. “Hotch, you can navigate and Reid can lead the way. I’ll follow.”

“Someone might want to tell Garcia where we are going,” JJ suggested. “Just in case she needs to physically track us down.”

Rossi pulled his phone out and pushed the speed dial button. “Garcia,” he said when the analyst answered. “We have a slight change of plans.”

A short drive brought them to the inn Hotch had located, and they quickly had their command center set up in the meeting room. After JJ and Reid, using materials supplied by the hotel, organized the evidence boards so everyone could see their most recent information on the case, the team sat down to plan their next move.

“It’s dark outside,” Morgan observed. “Since we know where the cameras are located, we should begin planning our approach to the building.”

“Let’s wait for Garcia’s report,” Blake suggested. “If they have already moved Strauss from the building, there’s no reason for us to try to gain entrance.”

As if on cue, Hotch’s cell phone buzzed. “Hotch,” he answered it.

“It is I, Oh Great Leader,” Garcia replied. “And, I have an update for you.”

“Go ahead, Garcia” Hotch told her. “And, you are on speaker.”

“First, I have found the invitation that was sent to Chief Strauss, inviting her to attend this weekend session,” Garcia told him. “On first glance, it appears to have come from the rehab center, but on closer examination, which I am very good at, it was actually sent from another server altogether. Actually, it came through multiple servers, most of them overseas, and from what I can tell actually originated at a free Wi-Fi spot in Quantico. I am checking for security cameras in that area even as we speak.”

“So, she was set up,” Morgan stated flatly.

“In a word, Yes,” Garcia told him. “But I still am not sure by who –or is it by whom? I am checking into it.”

“What about activity at the rehab center?” Blake inquired. “Can you tell if anyone or anything has left the center since Strauss called Hotch?”

“I am reviewing the security tapes going back to this morning,” Garcia reported. “So far, there has only been one – Wait a minute!!”

“What do you see, Garcia?” JJ asked.

“That’s strange,” Garcia commented. “I would swear I saw the overnight mail go out about an hour back, but here is the truck again. Maybe they forgot to pick up something or maybe – “

“Can you get the license plate number or the truck number?” Rossi inquired.

“I’m closing in on them even as we speak,” Garcia told him. “Then I can track the vehicle and see what their company records show.”

“Okay,” she reported after a minute. “I have the plate number for the vehicle, let me run it. Oh – Oh!”

“What, Garcia?” Morgan asked.

“The license plate belongs to a SUV owned by Strauss’ ex-husband,” Garcia read off the screen. “He reported it stolen, the plate, not the SUV, about two weeks ago.”

“What do we know about the ex-husband?” Blake looked at Rossi.

“Don’t look at me!” he protested. “I had nothing to do with breaking up that marriage. Maybe another marriage or two, but definitely not that one!”

“Ex-spouses do account for a high percentage of all crimes against persons,” Reid stated. “So, statistically speaking, he would make a good suspect in this kidnapping.”

“But, would he have the connections to carry it out at the rehab center?” Hotch asked.

“Very few people would have,” Morgan agreed. “That’s why we need to get inside and see what is going on.”

“Before you and Blake begin planning your assault on the rehab center, why don’t we see if we can come up with a list of who might want to lure us into a trap?” Hotch suggested. “See if we can tie any of them into the center.”

“Garcia,” he called out. “While we are developing a list here, can you check up on Straus’s ex-husband. See if he has any connection with the rehab center? Also, we will need blueprints for the building itself.”

“On it even as we speak!” the tech signed off.

“If any unsub we had captured had been released from prison or had escaped, we would have been notified. That’s standard procedure.” Reid began the assessment. 

“What about unsubs we never managed to capture?” JJ asked. 

“What about the relatives and friends of the unsubs we did capture?” Blake added. “They could still be holding quite a grudge.”

“And, if we want to be thorough, we probably should add my ex-wives and their families,” Rossi was getting creative. 

“This is going to be quite a list,” Hotch observed.


	13. Drive On Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this narrative and pass on their coments. It is very much appreciated!

As Garcia continued reviewing the security camera feeds from the rehab center, as well as running checks on the employees, her cell phone binged for an incoming text message. She reached over and checked the screen. Strange, the text seemed to be coming from Hotch, asking her to join the team at the inn. She thought it unusual that he hadn’t called and spoken with her, but she knew the team was busy. Quickly, she began packing up her computer and other equipment.

Half an hour later, equipment in hand, Garcia was headed across the parking garage towards her car, Esther, ready to make the hour long drive. She considered taking a Bureau vehicle, but discarded that idea as it would involve too much paperwork. As she pulled out of the parking structure, she realized that it had begun raining, and she mentally added another fifteen minutes to her anticipated drive time. 

As she headed through the rain to the inn, she considered calling Morgan to let him know she was on her way. However, she remembered Hotch’s strict injunction against talking on a cell phone while driving. Garcia began seriously considering having her vintage car equipped with a hands-free cell phone device.

Forty-five minutes later, she was stuck in traffic. “Darn,” she thought. “Construction on the road this late at night? It’s going to be after midnight before I get there!” 

When she finally made it to the front of the line of traffic, she saw that construction barriers were blocking the highway, with fluorescent cones directing traffic onto an ‘Off’ ramp. As she read the road signs, Garcia breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that the ramp involved was the one she needed anyway. Carefully, mindful of the slippery conditions caused by the rain, she navigated the Off ramp.

There was a stop sign at the top of the incline and Garcia conscientiously came to a complete stop. If the GPS was right, she just needed to turn right here and it was clear sailing for the next ten miles. Then, with any luck, she would be just minutes from where her team was set up. 

Glancing out her driver’s side window, Garcia saw a man approaching her car. He was dressed for directing traffic and was carrying a ‘Stop’ sign, so she left her window down, assuming he needed to speak with her. Before she realized it, he had reached into her car and placed a cloth over her nose and mouth. Dimly, she heard her passenger door open, and realized that another person had climbed into the vehicle. 

As she slid to the floor, Garcia thought about Morgan and wondered how long it would be before he realized she was missing.


	14. Garcia??

“Hotch,” Morgan called out to the team leader. “Have you heard from Garcia recently?”

Hotch checked his cell phone. “No,” he replied. “Has she gotten back to you with the information on the surveillance cameras?”

“No,” Morgan told him. “I’ve been trying to call her and going to voice mail for the past 15 minutes.”

“Blake, has Garcia gotten back to you with the blueprints of the building?” Hotch called out.

Blake looked up from where she and Reid were studying a map of the area. “Now that you mention it, No,” she replied. She checked her cell phone. “No,” she verified.

“Maybe we should send someone over to check on her,” Rossi suggested. “Who’s still in the building?” 

“Anderson was on the schedule for nights this week,” Reid supplied helpfully. 

“Let me call him,” Morgan said. “She just probably got involved in one of her searches and forgot about the time.”

As Morgan waited for Anderson to answer his phone, JJ looked over at Reid. “That’s not like Garcia,” she commented. “I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

Reid just shook his head.

“Hey, Anderson,” Morgan spoke into his phone. “Do me a favor, will you? Run down to Penelope’s room and remind her to answer her phone. We’ve been trying to reach her and can’t get through. I’ll hold.”

Morgan looked around. “He’s on his way,” he reported.

“What do you mean?” Morgan said, responding to something Anderson told him. “She’s not answering the door? Do you have the code for the keypad? Let me check with everyone here.”

Morgan looked around. “Do any of you have the code for Penelope’s room?” he asked, trying not to panic. “The door is locked and Anderson can’t get in. She’s not answering.”

“Reid?” Hotch asked what everyone was thinking. 

“Um-m-m, maybe I should tell Anderson in private?” Reid suggested, reaching for Mogan’s cell phone. Everyone could hear his soft responses to Anderson’s questions as he walked out of the room and into the hallway.

Within minutes, Reid rushed back into the room. “Anderson got into Garcia’s office, and she’s not there,” he reported. “According to him, there is no indication of where she went or why. He’s on his way to the parking garage to see if her car is still there.” 

“Can someone call Kevin?” JJ suggested. “I assume they are still on speaking terms.”

Hotch was dialing his phone. “Kevin,” they heard him say. “Have you heard from Penelope?”


	15. Headache Without The Green Fairy

Penelope Garcia’s head hurt. It hurt worse than the most miserable hangover she could ever remember having. And, on top of that, she was hallucinating. She could swear she was hearing Erin Strauss’ voice trying to convince her to wake up. Why, oh why, wasn’t her alarm going off, releasing her from this agony?

Of all the people who could have been brought into her prison cell, the last person in the world she had expected was Penelope Garcia. To put it mildly, Erin Strauss was amazed, confused, and totally pissed off. What she needed was a seasoned, experienced FBI agent who could help her escape, and all she got was a multi-colored computer tech. There certainly weren’t any computers in this room!

Sighing, she began the process of first, determining whether the tech was injured in any way (apparently not), and then attempting to revive her. It had been a long time since she had taken the mandatory first aid course, and she hoped she remembered at least the basics. Thankfully, whoever had imprisoned her had left her several bottles of drinking water. Maybe she should try splashing some of it on Penelope’s face.

Garcia drew a deep breath and prepared to open her eyes.


	16. Summoning Kevin and Anderson

“Kevin, please, calm down,” Hotch spoke to the upset computer technician. “We aren’t sure what is going on, but we do need you to go back into work and get into Penelope’s office. Anderson is waiting for you, and will let you in. Give me a call when you get there. We need you to check and see if you can determine where she went and why. Also, we need to know what she was working on and what she had found out. Got that?”

Reid’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the display. “It’s Anderson,” he announced. 

“Reid,” he answered the phone. “You’re sure?” he asked. “Has anyone checked the security cameras? Okay, I’ll pass that along. Kevin is on his way over. When he gets there, will you make sure he gets into Garcia’s room and stay with him? He can probably use your help. Thanks!”

He closed his phone and looked up. “Garcia’s car is gone,” he reported. “From what they can tell on the security cameras, she was alone when she left. Anderson will stay with Kevin to give him a hand when he arrives.”

Morgan was pacing the room, waving his cell phone. “Answer, damm it, answer!” he was ranting.

“Morgan, you’re not accomplishing anything by beating up on your cell phone,” JJ pointed out. “Why don’t you put it down for a minute while we talk this through?”

“Kevin’s on his way,” Hotch confirmed as he closed his cell phone. “If we haven’t heard from him in half an hour, - Blake - ?”

“No problem,” Blake glanced at her watch. “I’ll check up on him.”

“I hate to bring this up,” Rossi started, “But I think it’s time we brought the local law enforcement guys into the loop on this. We now have two vehicles that need tracing and we need to know if they have any local intel on the rehab center.”

“You’re right,” Hotch agreed. “Out here, we probably need to talk to the county sheriff. Who wants to volunteer to make the trip to the station?”

“We also might want to change our initial assumption,” Reid pointed out. “Maybe Strauss wasn’t the main target. Maybe it was Garcia all along.”

“Why would anyone want my Baby Girl?” Morgan asked. “She never has anything to do with making arrests or anything. The only people who even know she exists are people who work for The Bureau.”

“That sounds like the same group we profiled who would want to grab Strauss,” JJ pointed out. “Maybe we should start looking for an overlap there.”

“First, we need to get with the locals,” Rossi pointed out. “Who wants to come with me – JJ?”

“Okay,” JJ stood up and joined Rossi as he walked out the door. 

“Meanwhile, we’ll start working on a new profile,” Hotch told them. “Reid and Blake? Morgan – You too!”

A clap of thunder sounded ominously as Rossi and JJ headed out the door.


	17. They Never Appreciate You 'Til You're Gone

“Let’s begin working under the assumption that Garcia was the intended target all along,” Blake began writing on the board. “Who would want to kidnap her – and why?”

“Definitely not for ransom,” Reid postulated. “She doesn’t have any family and she certainly doesn’t have any money. Also, it is well known that The Bureau doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.”

“Who says they are terrorists?” Hotch asked.

“Well, she does work for the federal government,” Blake pointed out. “Some of these groups are out to grab anyone they can just to make their point.”

“But, in that case, wouldn’t Strauss have made a better target?” Morgan argued. “She’s higher up in the hierarch, and those people usually go right to whoever they think can do them the most good.”

“Garcia does volunteer work with several groups,” Reid came up with another suggestion. “Maybe this ties in with one of those.”

“Does anyone have a list?” Morgan asked. “I can’t keep track of them all.”

“We’ll check with Kevin when he gets into her office,” Hotch said. “Maybe she keeps a schedule in there. Anything else?”

“Computer hacking skills?” Blake hazarded a guess. “Maybe whoever this is needs her to break into a computer file somewhere.”

“She does adhere to the Hacker’s Code of Conduct,” Morgan reminded them. “That might possibly stop her from helping them.”

“And, endanger her life,” Hotch didn’t sound happy.

“On-line gaming?” Reid contributed to Blake’s growing list. “I don’t know a whole lot about that, but supposedly the players are anonymous. Maybe someone found out who she is and came after her because she is so good.”

“Again, we need to check with Kevin,” Hotch commented.

“Okay, we are looking for a guy who is extremely organized, and very patient,” Blake began another list. 

“He has inside information on The Bureau in general and the BAU in particular,” Reid added.

“He wouldn’t need to be terribly physically fit,” Morgan pointed out. “So far, he has only taken two women who, as far as we know, didn’t fight back.”

“He would have to have a contact in the rehab center,” Hotch added. “He obviously knows how their systems work.”

“With all these variables, you know who we need right about now?” Morgan asked dejectedly. 

“Garcia!” Blake and Reid chorused.


	18. Kevin, You Did What?

As soon as he hung up his phone, Kevin turned to the petite, dark-haired woman he had brought back to his apartment.

“Sorry, Tina,” he told her. “I have to go back into the office.”

“Now – Tonight?” the woman pouted prettily. “Kevin, sweetheart, I thought you were supposed to be off. It’s Valentine’s weekend!”

“Something’s come up,” Kevin told her regretfully. “Let me drive you home. When we get there, you can show me just how much you are going to miss me!”

After dropping Tina off at her place and enjoying a far too short romantic interlude, Kevin proceeded to Quantico. He quickly cleared Security and rushed up to the BAU bullpen where Anderson was waiting for him. Anderson promptly escorted him to Garcia’s office and let him in.

“What do you need me to do?” he asked as Kevin glanced around the room.

“Let me call Hotch first,” Kevin suggested as he began pushing buttons on the desk phone. “Once I know where he wants me to start, I’ll have some idea.”

“I’m in Penelope’s office with Anderson and we are on speaker,” Kevin told Hotch when the agent answered his cell. “What do you need me to do?”

“First, look around,” Hotch instructed him. “You know that office better than Anderson. Is anything missing? Do you see anything that might indicate where Garcia went or why?”

Kevin walked around the office looking carefully. “Well, it looks like her Bureau laptop is gone,” he reported. “Along with some modems she takes with her when she travels with you guys. Her purse is also gone and all her computers seem to have been shut down, like she planned on leaving for an extended period of time. If you can tell me what she was working on, I can bring her computers back up and start checking her files.”

“The first thing she was working on was Strauss’ e-mail,” Hotch told him. “Garcia was trying to determine where the information for the supposed weekend session came from. Then, she was checking on the security cameras around the rehab clinic, as well as checking out the clinic personnel. Finally, she was trying to locate blueprints for the building and a map of the grounds.”

“Okay,” Kevin was powering up the computers. “Let me see what I can find, starting with the e-mails.”

“Will you need to get back to us?” Hotch inquired.

“Maybe – No - I seem to be getting into her files,” Kevin hedged. “Okay, I’m in and – you do know she was hacking into Strauss’ computer, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Hotch assured him. “She was trying to track some e-mails Strauss received.”

“Yeah, I’ve found that,” Kevin commented. “Let me check - **Oh – Oh!"**

“What?” Hotch instantly went on alert.

“I, - well - I kind of recognize the routing for the e-mails,” Kevin stuttered.

 **“From what?”** Hotch demanded.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” Kevin defended himself. “It’s just that a couple of weeks ago, a bunch of us met up after work and someone began theorizing about how best to conceal the origin of an e-mail. Everyone was coming up suggestions, and this is the proxy server routing I proposed.”

**“Who was there?” Hotch thundered.**

“Uh – Lots of people. Okay, maybe five or six,” in the wake of Hotch’s anger, Kevin was stuttering.

**“A LIST, KEVIN - A LIST!” Hotch demanded**

“Hotch, man, what is going on?” Kevin could hear Morgan’s voice in the background. He took a deep breath and thanked his lucky stars that he wasn’t in the same room as Morgan. As he well knew, an angry Morgan was a force to be reckoned with!


	19. Help Please

Rossi and JJ got as far as the outside door when they realized it had been storming long enough that the parking lot was thoroughly soaked.

Rossi handed the SUV’s key to JJ. “I’m an old man,” he told her. “Younger reflexes are definitely called for in this weather. I assume you know where the local police station is located?”

JJ smiled. “That’s my specialty,” she assured him. “Turn me loose anywhere at any time and I can locate the local law enforcement offices.”

After starting the SUV and getting on the road to the sheriff’s office, JJ glanced over at Rossi. “I can’t believe no one told Reid about Christine,” she began. “You know, Spence is really mad at all of us.”

“After that episode with Prentiss, I can’t say I blame him,” Rossi commented. “It does look like someone was setting him up for a sick joke.”

“Not me!” JJ objected. “And, I fully intend to apologize to him as soon as I can get him alone. I really like Christine, and I’m glad the two of them are together.”

“Well, she is intelligent, entertaining, and easy on the eyes,” Rossi agreed. “Half of me wishes I had taken a chance with her when we were out at The Institute. However, rest assured I will be tendering my apology as soon as possible.”

As they pulled up outside the sheriff’s office, Rossi looked over at JJ. “Well, let’s see who is home at 3:00 a.m.,” he commented as they climbed out of their vehicle.

“All for a good cause,” JJ reminded him. “It’s Garcia who’s missing now.”

After sprinting through the pouring rain, the two wet agents quickly found themselves in the well-worn lobby of the rural sheriff’s office, where they stopped to look around. Seeing a woman in a deputy’s uniform seated behind the front desk, they walked over to speak with her. It quickly became apparent that she was not prepared to deal with the situation.

“FBI?” she questioned as she carefully examined their credentials. “What are you doing way out here?”

“We need your help with an abduction,” JJ explained kindly. “Are you in charge of the station?”

“Well – kind of - at the moment – I guess,” the deputy stammered. “What, exactly do you need?”

“For a starter, a BOLO sent out for two vehicles, and then some information on The Southern Virginia Rehabilitation Center,” Rossi told her. “After that, we’ll see.”

“Okay,” the deputy hesitated as she pulled a pad of paper towards herself. “Two vehicles?”

“Two vehicles!” Rossi repeated sternly.


	20. Total Recall

“Calm down, Morgan,” Kevin heard Hotch say. “Getting upset isn’t going to help anything. Kevin, you said I’m on speaker?”

“Yes, Sir, Hotch, Sir,” Kevin stuttered. “You are on speaker phone.”

“Anderson?” Hotch continued. “Are you still there?”

“Yes, Sir,” Anderson replied. “I’m right here.”

“Okay, we don’t know who is behind these abductions,” Hotch told the two men. “However, at the moment, it appears possible it is someone from within The Bureau. So, for your own safety, you are now on the buddy system. Where one of you goes, the other goes. And, I mean everywhere – To the men’s room, to get coffee, everywhere. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” both of the men chorused.

“Good,” Hotch told them. “Now, Kevin, we need a list of who you were with when you came up with the e-mail proxy server routing, as well as anyone else who may have overheard your conversation. I have no doubt that you remember something. Do you know what a cognitive interview is?”

“Y – Y - Yes,” Kevin replied, hesitantly.

“Good,” Hotch told him. “Because that is what we are going to try.”

Blake waved to get Hotch’s attention. “Maybe I should do it,” she whispered to him. “He is terrified of you and Morgan.”

Hotch nodded his agreement and handed the phone to Blake.

“Kevin, this is Blake,” she began. “Now, I need you to do exactly what I ask. Do you understand that?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Kevin replied.

“And, Anderson,” Blake continued. “I need you to observe Kevin and let me know any responses he has that I can’t pick up on over the phone. Do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Anderson replied.

“Alright, Kevin,” Blake began her instructions. “Dim the lights and then sit back, make yourself comfortable, and close your eyes.”

Anderson helped with the lights and then watched carefully as the tech complied. “Okay, he’s ready,” he told Blake.

“Good,” Blake continued. “Now, Kevin, think back to the day you came up with the routing. Where were you?”

“Ziggy’s Pub,” Kevin promptly replied. “A table against the wall on the left side as you enter.”

“And, what did you smell?” Blake asked.

“Beer and other alcoholic beverages,” was Kevin’s quick reply. “And, - “

“And what?” Blake picked up on the hesitation.

“Tina’s perfume,” Kevin admitted.

“Okay, Tina was there,” Blake confirmed. “What else do you remember? What day of the week was it?”

“A Friday after work,” Kevin remembered. “I was with some people from the various Technical Analysts Groups.”

“Did you have anything in your hands?” Blake asked.

“A pen?” Kevin guessed.  
“Anderson?” Blake called the other agent. “Can you make sure he has a pen in his hand?”

“No problem,” the agent replied.

“Now,” Blake continued. “You were with a group of people. Who suggested the proxy server challenge?”

Kevin thought before replying. “Don started it. He works with the Artificial Intelligence Group. He wanted to send an anonymous e-mail to the Prof who teaches a class he is taking over at the University. Tina joined in and said she would like to send some anonymous hate mail to a romantic rival. Then Sylvia, from the Domestic Terrorists Group, mentioned that she would like to send a computer virus to her sister-in-law. At that point, someone, I think it was Roberto, suggested the competition.”

“Anderson,” Blake asked. “Can you tell me if Kevin is looking around at these people or if he is just looking straight ahead?”

“His head is turning,” Anderson reported.

“Okay, Kevin,” Blake continued. “Is there someone else at the table?”

“No,” Kevin told her. “Well, maybe, before, but Sandra had just left.”

“Is there, possibly, someone nearby who appears to be listening?” Blake questioned.

“Actually,” Kevin slowly reported. “There was a guy – Two tables over, who might have been listening.”

“He’s turning his head to the right,” Anderson broke in.

“Alright, I think we may have something!” Blake told him. “Describe him!”

Kevin spoke slowly as he tried to recreate his memory. “All I could see was the side of his face,” he reported. “He was partially turned in the other direction, away from me.”

“What can you see?” Blake persisted. 

“He is white,” Kevin began. “Possibly in his late 20’s. Height and weight proportionate. I can’t tell because he is sitting down. His hands –“

“What about his hands?” Blake followed up.

“I’m not really sure,” Kevin replied. “Just something about the way he moved them. But, then, Tina started talking to me and I turned my attention back to her.”

“Okay, you are talking with Tina,” Blake repeated. “What then? Did someone start writing or did you just discuss it out loud?”

“Tina suggested we write everything down to prevent cheating,” Kevin recalled. “So, everyone began writing. Then, after about 10 minutes, Tina called time and we began reading them out loud.”

“Look to your right,” Blake instructed. “Is the guy still there?”

“Yes, and he has someone with him,” Kevin told her after a minute’s hesitation.

“Who?” Blake asked.

“I can’t tell. They are in the shadows,” Kevin recalled. “But, I am sure it is another guy.”

“Let’s go back to what was happening at your table,” Blake said. “After you read your proposals, then what happened?”

“We all laughed, and then Tina said she wanted to leave,” Kevin reported. “So, I got up with her, and then everyone else got up, and we all walked out together.”

“What happened to the proposals?” Blake asked.

“We left them on the table,” Kevin was definite. “However, I wanted mine to show to Penelope, so I went back to get it. But, it was gone.”

“What about the guy you noticed?” Blake asked.

“I’m not sure, but I think he was gone too.”


	21. I'm Stuck With Who?

Garcia slowly opened her eyes, and promptly wished she hadn’t. There, hovering over her, was the last person in the world she wanted to see – Erin Strauss!

“Where am I?” Garcia thought that was an appropriate place to start.

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here,” Strauss snapped. Then she stopped herself. “Sorry,” she apologized. “It’s just that I’m not used to being in situations like this. We appear to have been abducted.”

“So I see,” Garcia commented as she tried sitting up. Her head still hurt, but she slowly turned it to look around. “What have you found out about this room? At least, I assume it’s a room and not a box or something, is it?” She was starting to sound hysterical.

“It is a room,” Strauss assured her. “I was brought here after I made a call to Aaron. Apparently, they were planning on my making that call. Then, they walked me through what appeared to be a storage area and put me in here. After another long interval, they brought you in. Do you have any idea what is going on?” 

“No, I don’t know why anyone would want to kidnap me,” Garcia took a deep breath and started thinking. “It was about four in the afternoon when they grabbed you and just after midnight when they got me. That means it has to be – what – about three or four in the morning?”

“What is Hotch’s team doing? They are looking for us, aren’t they?” Strauss demanded.

Oh, yes, they are looking,” Garcia assured her. “But, I don’t know if they are looking in the right place. Do you know whether or not we are still at the rehab center? They knocked me out with some chloroform or something and I have no idea of how long I was out or how long they spent moving me.”

“Well, the first room I was in was cement block construction with a dirt floor,” Strauss recalled. “The rehab center appeared to have been built in the 80’s – Maybe? That would mean a concrete floor, wouldn’t it?”

“Not necessarily,” Garcia told her. “I was pulling the blueprints for the building when I got the bogus call to join the team. It appears that there was an older building on the site and the new construction utilized some of the existing structure.”

“So, it is possible we are still there?” Strauss asked, hopefully.

“Yes, and no,” Garcia hated to be the conveyor of bad news. “On the security tapes I did see a delivery truck leave the building after you had been abducted. You may have been moved in that.”

Garcia thought of something and began checking her pockets and her cleavage. “Darn!” she exclaimed. “I was hoping they might have missed one of my phones. But, it appears I have been searched and they are all gone.”

“How many phones do you carry?” Strauss asked, amazed.

“Only three – or four –“ Garcia admitted.


	22. Chapter 21

Rossi and JJ supervised as Deputy Lou (short for Louise, she told them) Raymond, notified all the sheriff’s patrol cars about the two vehicles they needed to be on the lookout for. 

“This is only my second week in this position,” she confided to the agents. “Please, bear with me!”

“You’re doing just fine!” Rossi praised the young deputy. “Now, we need any information you have on The Southern Virginia Rehab Center.”

“Like what?” the woman wasn’t quite sure what they needed her to look for.

“Well, has your department had any calls to go out there?” JJ suggested a place to start. “Has anyone ever complained about the employees that work there? Have any of your patrol officers noticed anything unusual in the area?”

Deputy Raymond began pulling up files on her computer. “Nothing I can find,” she reported. “No calls of any kind, and they appear to have passed all the state and local inspections.”

“Problems with any of their personnel?” Rossi persisted. 

“I can’t really tell,” the deputy explained. “I have no way of telling where any of the people we issue tickets to work.”

“Arrests?” JJ asked patiently.

The deputy ran another check. “Nothing that I can find,” she reported.

As they discussed other possible areas of research, a call came in from one of the patrol cars. 

“You’ve found it?” Deputy Raymond asked the caller. She turned to JJ and Rossi. “One of the patrol cars has located a 50’s vintage car,” she told them. “And, there’s something weird, too.”

“What and where?” Rossi asked.

“Out at the exit ramp from the expressway,” the deputy replied. “It appears the expressway, itself, has been blocked off. According to the information we received from the State Highway Department, that’s not on their schedule. Traffic is being routed off at the exit, and then right back onto the expressway.”

“That’s the ruse the used to grab Garcia,” JJ surmised. “The car was found close to there?”

“About a mile from the exit, sitting on the shoulder of the main road leading towards the rehab center,” the deputy explained. 

“Any signs of a struggle?” Rossi asked the important question.

Deputy Raymond got back on the radio. “What is the condition of the vehicle?” she inquired. “Any sign of a struggle or accident or anything? And, remember, don’t touch it any more than you have to!”

The deputy listened for a moment and then turned back to the agents. “No blood and no signs of a struggle,” she reported. “Also, no damage to the vehicle itself that would indicate that it had been in an accident.”

Rossi and JJ exchanged glances. “Where, exactly, is the car?” JJ asked. “I have a feeling we had better go take a look at it ourselves.”

“It’s a good thing it has stopped raining,” Rossi commented, looking at his Italian leather boots as they headed out the door on their way to the SUV.


	23. Chapter 22

Hotch listened to Rossi’s report, closed his cell phone, and turned to the rest of the team. “They found Garcia’s car,” he reported. “No sign of an accident or a struggle. Apparently, the unsub blocked the expressway and forced traffic off onto the exit ramp. That’s how they got close to her.”

Morgan punched the nearest wall. “I left my Baby Girl unguarded!” he yelled. “And, some bastard took her!”

“Calm down!” Reid implored. “Causing structural damage won’t help things any. We need to concentrate our efforts on finding her and getting her back. And, Strauss, too, of course,” he added as an afterthought.

“Rossi and JJ are on their way to check out the car,” Hotch told them. “Blake?”

“I have Anderson checking for security tapes from Ziggy’s,” Blake reported. “If there are any tapes, we might be able to identify the guy who appeared to be eavesdropping on Kevin’s conversation. Also, we might be able to see who took the written plans off the table.”

“Kevin is working to reconstruct the files Garcia was working on,” Blake continued. “He should be able to find out if she had discovered anything.”

“What about how she was lured out?” Morgan had calmed down. “If we can figure that out, we should be able to track the bastard down!”

“That’s on Kevin’s list,” Blake assured him. “Reid?”

Reid was standing in front of a map he had posted on one of the boards. “I have added the point where Garcia was abducted and the point where her car was found,” he indicated to two of the colored pins. “It seems to narrow the unsub’s comfort zone somewhat, but we still have a lot of territory involved. Have they located the van?” 

“Not yet,” Hotch told him. “A white delivery van wouldn’t stand out, even if they were looking for a particular license plate.”

“By now they have probably changed the plate,” Morgan pointed out. “Hotch, I have to get out there!”

“Wait until we hear from Rossi and JJ, or from Kevin,” Hotch counseled. “Then you’ll have more information to go on and a better idea of where to start looking.”

“I want to start at the rehab center,” Morgan insisted.

“Let’s just wait!” Hotch was adamant.


	24. Chapter 23

The computer screen suddenly came to life, displaying a distraught looking Kevin.

“Hello – Is anyone there?” he inquired hesitantly.

“I’m here, man,” Morgan quickly responded, moving into camera range. “What do you have for us?”

“Oh, Morgan,” Kevin stuttered. “I’m - Um –m –m, “

“I’m not going to bite you, man,” Morgan told the tech. “Just tell me what you’ve found!”

“Well, I started with trying to find out why Penelope left the office,” Kevin recounted.

“You found something?” Hotch pushed Morgan out of the way.

“Apparently, she received a text message on her cell,” Kevin reported. “It appeared to come from you, Agent Hotchner, asking her to come out to the inn.”

“Who sent that and how did they know where we were?” Blake asked. “It has to be someone who knows us!”

“We are back to someone who works for The Bureau!” Morgan declared. 

“What about the phone it was sent from? Can you track that?” Reid questioned.

“It is a disposable cell phone,” Kevin reported. “I found out where it was purchased, but it was part of a group that was sold almost six months ago. I don’t know if we can get security tapes from that far back.”

“Okay – It looks like whoever this is, they have been planning it for quite some time. Have you found anything else?” Hotch asked.

“Penelope was looking at the blueprints for the rehab center building. Also, a map of the surrounding property,” Kevin was gaining confidence. 

“And?” Blake prompted.

“There was originally another building on that piece of property,” Kevin told them. “When it was torn down, the substructure was left intact. Apparently, the current building utilizes the original basement, as well as having added some new spaces. Also, several of the original outlying buildings are still standing. Some of those appear to still be in use.”

“That means there are multiple locations on the property no one would frequent,” Blake summarized. “Any one of them would be an ideal place to hold someone.”

“What about security cameras?” Morgan was itching to get into action. “What have you found on them?”

“Nothing unusual,” Kevin stated. “It looks like Penelope already sent you their locations?”

“Yes,” Morgan confirmed. “Have you been able to get into their system?”

“Apparently Penelope was in there,” Kevin informed him. “But, the system has since locked her out. I’m trying to work around that now.”

“Keep working!” Hotch instructed. “And, call us back where you have something.”


	25. Chapter 24

After Kevin had signed off, Hotch glanced over at Blake. “One thing bothers me,” he said. “Several times during the cognitive interview, Kevin mentioned ‘Tina’”. He looked around the room. “Does anyone know who she is?”

Reid cleared his throat. “Yes, I do,” he ventured. “Tina Chasten, she works in Payroll. Kevin began dating her about seven months ago. I know because Garcia has been keeping up on his – romantic adventures?”

“Seven months ago?” Blake repeated. “That would fit our timeline. What does anyone know about her?”

“Too bad my Baby Girl isn’t here,” Morgan mourned Garcia’s absence. “She has probably been keeping an eye on this Tina.”

“Who else can get us that information?” Hotch asked.

“Anderson!” Hotch answered his own question as he pulled out his phone and began calling.

“Anderson,” they heard Hotch say. “Are you in the same room as Kevin? Well, I need you to step out to where he can’t hear you. Yes, I know you aren’t supposed to leave each other alone. Just go out into the hallway, but leave the door open so you can still see each other. Good!”

Hotch looked around at the team and took a deep breath. “Alright, now, I need you to get some information for me, and I don’t want Kevin to know you are doing it. Can you handle that? Great! I need you to start by running checks on all the people who were at the table with Kevin when he came up with the e-mail routing. It’s okay if Kevin knows about that. However, I need you to pay particular attention to a Bureau employee named Tina Chasten. Whatever you do, don’t let Kevin know about that!”

Hotch listened for a minute. “Yes, from Payroll, that’s the one,” he told Anderson. “And, remember, I don’t want Kevin to know you are specifically checking on her. Look for any connection between her and the rehab center. Call me back.”

“When this is all over, remind me to give Garcia a raise,” he commented to the room at large.


	26. Chapter 25

Garcia pushed her bangs back out of her eyes and looked at Strauss. “Okay,” she began. “The first thing we need to do is check this place out.”

“I have already checked it out,” Strauss snapped back. “The door is over there,” she pointed towards the wall in front of them. “And it’s locked. We have several bottles of water and a pail over there,” she pointed towards the far corner. “We are sitting on a bed,” she slapped it, “Which is the only piece of furniture in this room. And, there is no way out!”

“We have water?” Garcia inquired. “Where? I am dying of thirst!”

She got up from the low bed they had been perched on and walked over to the corner where the bottles of water and pail were sitting on the concrete floor. “Apparently, whoever it is, they are planning on keeping us alive at least for a while,” she commented as she picked up a bottle of water. “Otherwise, they wouldn’t have left this for us.”

Strauss glanced up at the recessed lighting in the ceiling and frowned. “We still don’t have any idea where we are or how long we have been here,” she complained.

“How many people have you actually seen?” Garcia was trying to remember the proper protocol, based on previous situations she had been associated with. 

Strauss thought for a moment. “Actually, just two,” she replied. “Both men. Both considerably bigger than me. They hustled me from my first location over to this room. Then, later, they brought you in.”

“Did you get any indication that there were more people involved?” Garcia was trying to get a feel for their situation.

“They didn’t say much,” Strauss remembered. “But, they did seem to know what they were supposed to do – Like they were following orders.”

“So, you think neither of them was the, shall we say ‘mastermind’ of the operation?” Garcia followed up.

“Probably not,” Strauss told her. “Also, I got the impression the second guy was participating only because he had to.”

The two women turned and looked towards the door as a flap at the bottom squeaked open. As they watched, a tray appeared with a loaf of bread, multiple small packets of peanut butter, and two plastic knives on it. Two more bottles of water were pushed through separately.

“Well, whoever it is, they don’t want us to starve to death,” Garcia commented as she inspected the food.

“Yes, but you do know we’ll have to use that bucket soon,” Strauss observed dryly.

“We’ll work something out,” Garcia sounded confident.


	27. Chapter 26

“Okay, we are checking on the blueprints of the building, the security cameras from Ziggy’s, the security cameras at the rehab center, the people who were with Kevin at Ziggy’s, and Tina,” Hotch reviewed their progress. “What are we missing?”

“The delivery van,” Blake suggested. “Also, how does this person know where we are and what we are doing?”

“Well, we can fill you in on Garcia’s car,” JJ announced as she and Rossi came through the door. 

“What did you find?” Morgan asked anxiously. 

“No indications of an accident and no blood,” Rossi reported the good news. “It looks like whoever this is, they just lured her off the expressway, immobilized her somehow, and grabbed her.”

“They probably used some sort of gas to knock her out,” Blake hypothesized. “Ether or chloroform would work.”

“With the oversized windows and manual window cranks on that vintage car, she would have been a sitting duck,” Morgan moaned.

“Any fingerprints on the vehicle?” Hotch asked.

“The techs are still looking,” JJ told him. “But, so far, no.”

“Were any of Garcia’s belongings still in the car?” Blake inquired.

“Her purse and the modems she takes with her when she travels with us,” Rossi replied. 

“That means her laptop and her cell phones are missing,” JJ contributed. “Whoever this is, they now know where our investigation stands.”

“Which is ???” Blake sounded frustrated. “I don’t feel like we are making much progress on this at all!”

“What time is it?” Hotch looked at his watch and realized it was now early morning. “Guys, my guess is that everyone here is hungry and tired. Why don’t we take a break and go get something to eat? Maybe take a shower and grab a nap. That way, when we get Kevin’s and Anderson’s reports we’ll be in a better frame of mind to decide on our next step.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rossi seconded Hotch’s suggestion. He pulled out his cell phone. “Let me call Deputy Reynolds and see if she can recommend a place around here where we can get something to eat.” 

As everyone began moving towards the door, JJ realized that Reid was still sitting cross-legged on the table, staring at the boards.

“Spence, are you coming with us?” she asked, concerned.

“No,” he replied absently. “We still have some of the food Christine sent, and I want to take another look at this.”

“You sure, man?” Morgan asked.

Reid glared at him. “Yes!” he stated flatly. “The sooner we get this resolved the sooner I can get back to The Institute. Unlike some of the others here, I do have a date for Valentines’ Day – With a woman!!”

“Point taken,” Morgan remarked as he meekly followed everyone else out the door.


	28. Chapter 27

“I have to ask,” Garcia looked at Strauss. “Who is really, really mad at you?” She punctuated her question by waving a plastic knife covered in peanut butter in the air.

After retrieving the tray of food, the two women had returned to the bed, where they were now sitting facing each other while they ate.

“What makes you think it’s me they’re after?” Strauss replied. “Maybe it’s you. Someone seems to have gone to a lot of trouble to lure you out of the office.”

“I haven’t pissed anybody off lately,” Garcia informed her. “At least, not anyone that I am aware of.”

“How about someone you don’t know of?” Strauss was anxious to divert attention away from herself. “Someone you met over the Internet, perhaps?”

“Well, there are several sore losers from on-line games,” Garcia admitted. “But, they wouldn’t know who I am or where to find me. What about you? Written anyone up lately?”

Strauss glared at the tech. “That is part of my job!” she declared righteously. “If I didn’t do it, someone else would!”

“Tell that to the person on the receiving end,” Garcia replied. “You know, they are always going to blame the messenger. What about your personal life? Anything there?”

“Personal life?” Strauss laughed. “With my job, that is practically nonexistent. And, no, my ex-husband is not the vindictive type. What about you and Kevin?”

“Kevin?” Garcia asked surprised. “What about him? We broke up over six months ago.”

“Aren’t you two still friends?” Strauss pursued the subject. “You were walking together and talking when I saw you a couple of days ago.”

“We still hang out from time to time,” Garcia admitted. “We have similar interests and mutual friends. It doesn’t make sense to be antagonistic towards each other.”

“What about his new girlfriend?” Strauss suggested. “How does she feel about that?”

“He has had multiple girlfriends,” Garcia pointed out. “None of them have lasted long enough to be considered serious. What about you? I’m sure you see someone from time to time. How does your ex-husband feel about that?”

“William?” Strauss asked. “The only thing he has ever been jealous of was my job. His job, of course, didn’t figure into it! We split up because we were both constantly going in different directions. There was no animosity involved.”

“Well, if we are both so totally blameless, why are we sitting here?” Garcia asked.


	29. Christmas??

When the team returned to the inn after eating breakfast, JJ went directly to the conference room where she found Reid still sitting on the table, staring at the boards. As she walked into the room, he studiously ignored her.

“Spence,” she walked over and stood directly in front of him in an effort to get his attention. “Please, believe me. I’m really sorry about not telling you about Christine. I honestly thought you knew!”

“Yeah, right,” Reid muttered, moving to the side in order to continue staring at Blake’s lists and the area map.

“However, despite the fact that you thought she was a call girl, you were still planning on spending the weekend with her,” JJ continued. “You must really like her.”

“Yes, I do” Reid admitted bashfully. “The truth is, I never gave her the Christmas present I bought her and I was hoping that this weekend I could – “

JJ stared at him. “Spence, you’re telling me you’re walking around with Christine’s Christmas present still in your pocket?” she asked in amazement.

“Well, it never seemed the right time to give it to her,” Reid explained, embarrassed.

“The right time?” JJ repeated. “Spence, there is never a wrong time to give a girl a gift. What did you get her?”

Reid stood up and pulled a flat black velvet jewelers’ box out of his pocket. JJ recognized the markings on the top.

“Oh, that’s the place down on Becker Street, in Georgetown,” she breathed. “It always has those exquisite pieces in the window. That place is expensive!”

“I don’t know much about the price of jewelry,” Reid admitted. “I just saw this in the window, and it looked right.” He opened the box and showed JJ a gold pendent shaped like a star. Small diamonds added a touch of sparkle.

“Oh My Gosh!” Blake walked into the room just in time to see the pendent. “Spencer, who is that for?”

“It’s Christine’s Christmas present,” he admitted, shamefaced.

“He hasn’t given it to her yet,” JJ added.

“Spencer - Christmas?” Blake asked. “What did you do for Christmas if you didn’t give Christine her present?”

“Well, she went home to see her family,” Reid explained to the two women. “And, I worked the Christmas Day shift so people with families could spend the day with them.” He closed the box and slipped it back into his pocket.

“You didn’t exchange gifts before she left?” Blake inquired.

“She did send over a tray of decorated cookies her chef had made up,” Reid replied. “And, she sent me a tie with pictures of the TARDIS all over it.”

“Those are the cookies you put in the kitchen to share,” JJ remembered. “They were delicious!”

“And, you wore that tie under a sweater last week,” Blake recalled. “I remember seeing all the rectangles and wondering what they were supposed to represent.”

“The tie with the rectangles?” Hotch joined them. “I noticed it last week and thought it was a nice change for you. I wanted to ask, but figured I would probably end up with a lecture on Euclidean Geometry.”

“That was his Christmas present from Christine,” JJ told him.

“She has good taste in ties,” Hotch commented admiringly. “Maybe I should get her to go shopping with me.”


	30. Hotch Apologizes

“Have you three gotten any rest?” Hotch asked concerned. “You’ve all been up and working for over 24 hours.”

“I’m on my way to the room now,” Blake told him. “A nap does sound good. JJ?”

“I’m with you,” JJ replied. “Lead the way!”

As the two women were leaving the conference room, JJ stopped, turned, and looked at Reid. “You did get something to eat, didn’t you?” she pressed him.

“Oh, yes,” Reid assured her. “Don’t worry about me.”

After the two women had left the room, Hotch turned to Reid. “Reid?” he looked at the obviously sleepy young agent.

“There is something here that I’m missing,” Reid said, rubbing his eyes. “I just don’t know what!”

“Well, I am sending you to bed,” Hotch declared. “But, before you go, I need to apologize to you. I honestly didn’t know you hadn’t been told about Christine’s job. Personally, I think she’s a really nice person, and I’d hate to think my carelessness is standing in the way of you getting to know her better.”

Reid stared at him for a minute. “Well, that helps,” he told his boss. “Thanks!”

As Reid was walking out of the room, he stopped and turned back towards Hotch. “You really think she’s nice?” he asked shyly.

Hotch gave Reid one of his rare smiles. “If she hadn’t made it clear she preferred you, I would have asked her out myself,” he told the young agent.


	31. Blake's Turn

As Reid headed down the hallway to the room he was sharing with Morgan, he was surprised to see Blake standing there, apparently waiting for him.

“Spencer?” she spoke as he approached.

“Yeah!” at the moment, he wasn’t feeling particularly friendly towards her.

“I need to talk with you.” Blake put a hand on his arm, causing him to stop and turn towards her.

“I had an apology all planned out,” she continued. “But, I think the best thing I can do right now is just to say ‘I’m sorry!’ I should have taken the time to talk with you after we got back from The Institute. Maybe I could have corrected your misconception about Christine.”

“Misconception?” Reid sputtered. “Do you even know what that means?”

“Well, I am a linguist,” Blake reminded him. “However, I think I will treat that as a rhetorical question and tell you about the quandary I believe you have been dealing with. It’s not easy reconciling the traits you would like to find in a person versus what you think you know about them.”

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Reid conceded. “Right now, I just want to get back to The Institute and spend some time with Christine.”

“After we all get some rest, let’s see if we can make that happen,” Blake promised. “And, just for the record, I really like her.”


	32. One More Connection

Once Hotch was sure he was alone, he pulled out his cell phone. However, before he could call the number he had in mind, it rang. He checked the readout.

“Hotch,” he answered. 

“It’s me, Sir,” Kevin responded. “I have some of the information you were looking for and thought I should call.”

“Thanks, Kevin. I appreciate it,” Hotch tried to sound encouraging. “What have you found?”

“I started with the rehab center, itself,” Kevin was sounding more sure of himself as the investigation progressed. “I discovered that it has been under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services for major Medicare Fraud. The FBI has also been involved in the investigation.”

“Do you know who at Health and Human Services was heading the investigation?” Hotch thought he knew, but he wanted Kevin to give him the name.

“Yes,” Kevin sounded like he was reading the information off his computer screen. “It’s William Strauss, Erin Strauss’ ex-husband.”

“That’s what I thought,” Hotch told him. “Do you know where he is right now?”

“Let me check and see what his cell phone shows,” Kevin replied as he keyboarded. “Oh - It appears that the cell phone he was issued by Health and Human Services has been turned off. Let me check and see if I can locate a personal cell phone and get back to you.”

“Turned off?” Hotch repeated. “That’s weird! Yes, check on a personal cell and let me know. In the meantime, what about the security cameras at the rehab center? Have you been able to get into them?”

“They appear to have been shut off,” Kevin replied. “I have reviewed the tapes Penelope had already pulled, and the white van is the only thing that stands out. I checked the company vehicle number with the overnight delivery company, and they don’t have a vehicle with that number.”

“Sounds like you are making progress,” Hotch congratulated the tech. “Now, if you could just – “

“Is that Kevin on the phone?” Reid rushed into the room. “I have a question for him.”

Hotch looked at Reid, standing in front of him dressed in patterned pajamas (were those penguins?), and shook his head. “Alright -?” he relinquishing the phone.

“Kevin, can you tell me exactly when and where the license plate for the van was stolen?” he asked.

“Let me pull that up,” Kevin replied. The two agents waited patiently as he located the information. 

“It was reported missing 16 days ago,” he told them. “And, according to the police report, Mr. Strauss noticed it was missing immediately upon arriving home after work.”

“So, as far as anyone can tell, the plate was stolen while his vehicle was parked in the Health and Human Services garage?” Reid questioned.

“That’s right,” Kevin confirmed. “That’s even in the police report.”

“Hotch, the plate was stolen on federal government property,” Reid told his supervisor as he handed the phone back. “That means this is in our jurisdiction. That also means that there should be a security tape showing the actual theft. We can use that to determine who is behind this!”

Hotch spoke back into the phone. “Kevin, did you hear that? Can you pull the security tapes for the time when the plate was stolen? Get back to me when you have found something. Thanks! Now, can you please give the phone to Anderson?”

Hotch turned to Reid. “We need to check and see if anyone at Kevin’s Friday night brainstorming session has a connection to either the rehab center or to Health and Human Services or both. That, combined with the information off the security tapes, should tell us who we are looking for.” He checked his watch. “It is 10:30 on a Saturday morning. That might pose a problem with locating a judge to sign the paperwork if we can justify a search warrant.”

Reid drew a deep breath and stood in the center of the conference room glaring at his supervisor. “We have enough for a warrant now!” he insisted.

Hotch looked at his youngest agent, standing there in a pair of oversized pajamas, and shook his head. “Take my word for it, Reid - Hello, Anderson?” he spoke back into the phone.

“Okay, I need you to go back out into the hallway where you can’t be heard,” he instructed Anderson.


	33. Another Guilty Party?

“You’re where Kevin can’t hear you?” Hotch clarified. “Good! Just a minute, let me put you on speaker. Now, what did you find out about the e-mail group?”

“I found out a lot, but nothing incriminating,” Anderson reported. “First off, the only place Ziggy’s has security cameras, is in the area of the cash register. I tried checking for the date in question, but those tapes have apparently been recorded over.”

“As for the people in Kevin’s group,” Anderson continued. “I’ll start with Don Jenkins. He works for the Artificial Intelligence Group. He was recruited from a university in Washington State and hasn’t been in the Quantico area for long. Actually, that is the one thing he, Sylvia, and Roberto all have in common. They all recently moved here from other parts of the country.”

“So, the assumption is that they don’t have any association with the rehab center?” Hotch asked.

“That’s right,” Anderson told him. “And, my initial research backs that up. Now, as for Tina Chasten, she was born and raised in the Quantico area. She left to go to college in Boston, but came back immediately afterwards. It also appears that her cousin works in the Administration Office at the rehab center. His title is ‘Lead Computer Technician’.”

“Does this cousin have name?” Hotch asked.

“He certainly does,” Anderson replied. “Sean Chasten.”

“What have you found out about him?” Hotch followed up his inquiry.

“I am still looking,” Anderson apologized. “I can’t locate any adult criminal record in Virginia. However, there is a juvenile record.” 

“And that involved?” Hotch asked.

“Well, it looks like he tried to hack into some government computers,” Anderson reported. “And, apparently, that included several in our building.” 

“In our building?” Hotch exclaimed. “I assume he was arrested.”

“Oh, yes. However, according to the record, he convinced the judge he had done it on a bet as a school prank,” Anderson appeared to be reading his notes. “He got probation.”

“Can you tell where he is now?” Reid asked.

“I’ll ping his cell phone and get back to you,” Anderson promised.


	34. Chapter 33

“It looks like you two have been hard at work,” Blake commented as she and JJ walked back into the meeting room after several hours of sleep. “What have we mere mortals missed whilst getting our beauty sleep?”

“Not to sound sexist or anything,” Rossi was following behind them. “But, you two ladies definitely don’t need to become even more beautiful.”

“Flatterer,” Blake smiled at him.

“Should I call Morgan?” JJ asked as she looked around the room.

“Right here!” Morgan called out as he joined the group. “Have you figured out where my baby girl is? Nice PJ’s by the way.” He nodded to Reid.

“We have a reason for grabbing Strauss,” Hotch began reviewing what he and Reid had learned. “Whoever is behind this is most likely trying to draw out her ex-husband, William, because of a Medicare fraud investigation he is heading involving the rehab center. What we don’t know, is why they would also take Garcia. I don’t think she is involved in that investigation.”

He glanced around at his people. “Does anyone know if she was doing work on it for another of the groups?”

“Not that I know of,” JJ told him.

“She didn’t say anything to me,” Blake added.

“Hotch!” Reid blurted out. “I think I know where Garcia comes into it.”

“Tell, quickly,” Morgan demanded.

“Remember what Kevin said about the original group at Ziggy’s and their reasons for sending anonymous e-mails?” Reid asked.

“Tina said she would like to send some anonymous hate mail to a romantic rival,” Rossi recalled. “Could she have meant Penelope?”

“Well, Garcia was dating Kevin before Tina came along,” Blake pointed out. “That fits!”

“And, if she thinks Kevin still has feelings for Garcia, she might have convinced her cousin to act for her,” Hotch theorized. 

“Kevin has probably been relaying the information he received from Garcia to Tina,” JJ guessed.

“So, it is possible that Tina and her cousin joined forces to grab Strauss, and then used her to get Garcia,” Reid summarized.

“That brings up the question – Where is Tina now?” Rossi asked. 

“And, where the heck is Garcia?” Morgan added.

Hotch pulled out his cell phone. “It’s time to go right to the source on this,” he declared. He pushed a speed dial button. “Kevin,” he spoke into the phone. “We need to talk!”


	35. Chapter 34

“While Hotch is talking with Kevin, we should be concentrating on getting into the rehab center,” Morgan spoke up. “Visiting hours should be in full swing. Maybe we can get in by posing as visitors. Or, possibly, as employees.”

“I don’t think so,” Rossi told him. “When each patient is admitted, they give the front desk a list of approved visitors. Anyone coming to visit is stopped at the front desk and required to show identification. Apparently, the system is in place to protect their patients’ privacy. I would assume a similar check-in system is in place for their employees.”

“You know this because - ?” Blake asked.

“Let’s just say ‘I know’,” Rossi replied. He turned and noticed Reid’s attire. “Um –m –m, Reid?“

JJ followed his glance. “Spence,” she spoke softly. “Don’t you think you had better get some clothes on?”

Reid glanced down and realized he was still wearing his pajamas. “Oh, yes, sorry,” he exclaimed before scampering off down the hallway.

Morgan laughed. “I’m surprised the kid doesn’t lose his head some days,” he commented.

“Don’t you want to go with him?” Blake suggested. “I think you still owe him an apology.”

“Several of us have already spoken with him,” JJ told him. “Your turn?”

“When he gets back,” Morgan assured the group. “Right now, I need to find Garcia!”

“We still don’t have a map of the property,” Blake pointed out. “If there are any outbuildings, we might be able to get started with them.”

“Call Anderson,” Rossi suggested. “Hotch is on the phone with Kevin. Maybe Anderson can get a map for you.”


	36. Any More Suspects?

“Okay,” Garcia reached for another packet of peanut butter. “Now that we have eliminated everyone we know, what about people we don’t know?”

“Someone we don’t know?” Strauss was puzzled. “Why would someone we don’t know abduct us?”

“Jealousy,” Garcia suggested. “Mad because we helped put someone they love in prison? Upset because we were somehow involved in disrupting their life? Something like that?”

“What about your on-line gaming?” Strauss questioned again. “Is there anyone you know of who would be really jealous? I understand you are quite good.”

“I am The Grand Master of on-line gaming,” Garcia corrected her. “And, while I have no doubt there are many people out there who are jealous of my abilities, most of them aren’t in a position to arrange for anything like this. Gamers, as a rule, aren’t violent. Besides, how would they know about you?”

“Good point,” Strauss conceded. She got up and began pacing restlessly around their prison. 

“What about you?” Garcia ventured to ask. “Is there anyone who would be jealous of you – Maybe because of your position with The Bureau?”

“My position?” Strauss laughed mirthlessly. “My position is what cost me my marriage. Although, to be honest, there were other factors. But, you may have a point. There is a lot of competition for Section Chief Positions.”

“Anyone in particular stand out?” Garcia asked curiously. 

“Not at the moment,” Strauss replied, after taking a brief moment to think it over. “However, it is possible that someone is breathing down my neck and I just haven’t realized it yet.”

“Let’s move on,” Garcia suggested. “Mad was next. Is anyone really, really mad at you?”

“Not anyone with the connections to do this,” Strauss waved her hand at the walls. “That’s the problem. Whoever this is, they have to have a connection to the rehab center.”

“Assuming that’s where we are,” Garcia reminded her.

“There is that,” Strauss sat down again. “If we don’t know where we are, how can anyone else know?”

“My team will find us!” Garcia told her. “I have faith in my babies!!!”


	37. Identified

“Kevin, we’re going to talk about Tina,” Hotch went right the point. “Exactly how involved with her are you, and how well do you know her?”

“Well,” Kevin sounded like he was stalling. “We have been seeing each other for about six months. She works for The Bureau, in Payroll, so she must have undergone a background check.”

“Family?” Hotch asked.

“I don’t – We don’t – We haven’t gotten to that point yet,” Kevin stuttered.

“Is Anderson there?” Hotch demanded.

“Yes,” Kevin affirmed.

“Put me on speaker phone,” Hotch instructed him. 

“I’m here,” Anderson’s voice came through.

“Have you located a picture of Sean Chasten?” Hotch asked.

“Yes, Sir,” Anderson told him.

“Show it to Kevin,” Hotch instructed. “And, Kevin, I need to know if you recognize this man.”

There was a moment of silence before Kevin gasp. “I remember him. That’s the man at the other table at Ziggy’s!”

“That’s Tina’s cousin, Sean,” Hotch replied. “He works in the Administration Office of the rehab center. Now, again, what can you tell me about Tina?”


	38. Located

Rossi’s cell phone ring began ringing and Hotch turned to watch as the older agent flipped it open.

“Agent Rossi.” he answered.

“Yes, that’s me,” Rossi replied to whoever was on the phone. “Yes, we are still looking for the van. It’s where? Give me the address. Good. Now, have your people stay put. Don’t approach the building. We’re on our way.”

Rossi ended the call and looked around the room. “One of the sheriff’s patrol cars has located what they think is the missing van,” he told the team. “The plates have been removed, but otherwise it matches the description.”

“Where is it?” Morgan demanded.

“At an abandoned farmhouse on the same piece of property as the rehab center,” Rossi reported. He held up a piece of paper. “I have the address.”

“Let’s go,” JJ started heading for the door.

“Just a minute,” Hotch held up his hand and then spoke into his phone. “Kevin, before we go any further with our discussion, I need you to check the property records for an address Rossi is sending you. Get back to me on that. And, you’re not off the hook yet, we still need to talk about Tina.”

“Tina?” Kevin squeaked. “Okay?”

Blake looked around. “Is Reid back yet?” she asked.

“I can stop by the room and get him on my way out,” JJ suggested.

“Let me do that,” Rossi suggested. “I need to have a word with him.”


	39. Chapter 38

When Reid and Rossi came out of the inn, they were obviously having a serious discussion. As the team watched, they shook hands and everyone heard Rossi say, “Remember, Kid, I know people! If you don’t treat her right and I hear about it, watch out!”

Reid smiled confidently. “No problem!” he assured the older agent.

Rossi walked over and climbed into the SUV Morgan was driving. Turning to him he simply said, “Your turn next”, and began programming an address into the GPS system. 

Morgan drove as Rossi checked the directions from the GPS. Hotch, after exchanging a nod with Reid, followed in the second vehicle. Traveling over dirt roads, the BAU team quickly reached the designated meeting place, where they saw that several of the local sheriff’s deputies were already in place. Through the trees, they could see an abandoned looking farmhouse with a white van parked in front of it. 

After getting out of the SUV, Hotch approached the group of deputies. “SSA Aaron Hotchner,” he held up his credentials. “What’s going on?”

“From what we can see at the moment, nothing,” their leader replied. “Since we have been here, there hasn’t been any movement in or out.”

“Where are we in relation to the rehab center?” Blake asked, looking around. “I’m not familiar with the area, but we don’t seem to be far from there.”

One of the deputies pointed to the right. “It’s about half a mile that way. What I would consider to be within walking distance.”

“That would depend on what you were walking,” Rossi commented, looking at the wet, muddy underbrush.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone is here,” JJ observed looking at the building. “If there isn’t any movement and there’s no smoke coming out of the chimney.”

“Why would they have a fire?” Morgan asked.

Reid pointed into the air. “No power lines,” he explained. “And, from what I can see, no propane. It was raining and cold last night. If someone was here, they would have needed heat.”

Hotch’s cell phone rang. After checking the screen, he answered it. “Kevin? What do you have for me?”

“Are you sure?” he continued. “Well, that helps. If you will continue checking on their whereabouts, I will be getting back to you shortly.”

After Hotch signed off the call, he looked at his team. “This property originally belonged to Sean and Tina Chasten’s mutual grandfather,” he told them. “This particular building, as well as several others closer to the center, was part of the original homestead.”

“That means they are undoubtedly familiar with the layout of the property in general,” Blake surmised. 

“And this building in particular,” Reid added.

“Where are Tina and Sean now?” JJ asked.

“Kevin is still checking,” Hotch told her. “Apparently, both of them have turned off their cell phones.”

“Are we going in?” Morgan asked.

“Yes,” Hotch decided. “Vests on everyone. We approach slowly and carefully. We don’t know what we are going to find once we get inside.”

Following the deputies, the team began moving towards the building.


	40. Trapped

“Okay,” Strauss and Garcia had finished eating the peanut butter and were sitting on the floor strategizing. “If we can’t determine who has kidnapped us, or why, how can we formulate a plan to deal with this delusional unsub?”

“You are assuming they are delusional,” Garcia pointed out. “What if they are a perfectly rational human being who is just using us to make a point? And, remember, there probably is more than one of them.”

“A perfectly rational person would not have gone to these extremes just to grab the two of us,” Strauss stated. “They would have exhausted other options first. In which case, one or the other of us would be familiar with them.”

“We most likely do know them,” Garcia guessed. “That’s why they are hiding their identity from us. They’re afraid we’ll recognize them.”

“If that is the case, how do we deal with them?” Strauss asked. “We need to get a plan in place for when we confront them.”

“From what I can remember,” Garcia began telling the Section Chief. “The general guideline says to go along with the unsub and agree with them and/or their delusion. That is, unless they want you to do something really, really icky. Then, you might have to disagree with them.”

“Risk upsetting them?” Strauss asked.

“If necessary, yes,” Garcia told her. “Although, I don’t really know how threatening you and I could be. Especially if he, or she, or both, is really, really big.”

“This is not going anywhere!” Strauss lashed out. “We need to get out of here - Now!”

“I don’t think that is going to happen anytime soon,” Garcia told her sadly. “We have no choice but to wait for the team.”


	41. Not Here?

“FBI,” Hotch called out when everyone had gotten as far as the van. He looked around to make sure everyone was in position. “Come out with your hands up!”

There was no response. Hotch glanced to his right and nodded a signal to Morgan and the deputies with him. They began moving closer to the building. When they reached the front door, Morgan called out. “FBI. We’re coming in!”

Again, there was no response. Morgan hesitated a moment before kicking in the front door. The deputies, followed by the FBI agents, charged into the front room, and then began carefully dispersing throughout the rest of the house.

“Clear!” the call echoed through the house as each deputy completed checking a room. 

It quickly became apparent that the structure was empty. 

“Is there any basement or cellar?” Morgan asked looking around.

“It appears not,” Rossi confirmed. “Although – “ He walked out the front door and around the right side of the building, looking at its base.

“No,” he confirmed when he returned. “Nothing.”

“Let’s go over the van,” JJ suggested. “See if that can tell us anything.”

When they got back outside, two of the deputies had already popped opened the van’s rear door and were carefully checking the interior. As the BAU team approached, one of them held up a red plastic heart-shaped pendent encased in an evidence bag.

“Recognize this?” he asked.

“Garcia was wearing that in the conference room yesterday evening,” Blake identified it. She looked over at Morgan. “That means she has to be somewhere around here.”

“How about somewhere in this direction?” Reid had been circling the van looking at the ground. “There are tracks in the mud and it looks like something was dragged this way through the bushes.”


	42. More Visitors?

The team looked expectantly at Hotch. “Does anyone know what is over there?” he asked the nearest deputy.

“Some more buildings?” the deputy guessed. “I seem to remember that you can see them from the parking structure at the rehab center.”

Rossi already had his cell phone out. “Anderson,” he said. “What have you found as far as a map of the property is concerned?”

“Okay, thanks,” he ended the conversation and turned to the others. “There are some other buildings over there,” he reported. “Apparently, several other farmhouses with outbuildings were built on the original homestead. Whoever took Garcia and Strauss might be using one of them to hide them in.”

“Let’s go!” Morgan was eager to rush off in search of the technical analyst.

“Not so fast,” Hotch cautioned him. “Remember, it gets dark early this time of year. Let’s slow down and make sure we know exactly where we are headed.”

“Also, what we are headed through.” Rossi was still eyeing the mud and the wet underbrush, and thinking about his Italian leather boots.

As the team was discussing the best way to proceed, one of the sheriff’s deputies walked up. “Hey,” he called, attracting Hotch’s attention. “Did you guys call for back-up?”

Hotch looked at him. “No,” he replied surprised. “Why do you ask?”

“I just received some intel that FBI agents are at the rehab center,” the deputy told him. “Are you sure it’s not anyone you know?”

Hotch looked at Morgan and then took out his cell phone. “Kevin,” he spoke into the phone. “I need you to check something ASAP!”


	43. A Raid?

“What do you need me to find out?” Kevin was hoping Hotch didn’t want to delve further into his relationship with Tina. He knew Morgan was probably already mad at him for passing information along to her, and he was not looking forward to their next meeting.

“Check on the joint investigation between the FBI and Health and Human Services concerning the rehab center,” Hotch instructed. “It seems possible that they are currently in the middle of a raid on the main building.”

He stood patiently, listening as Kevin scrolled through several screens.

“Yep,” Kevin finally told him. “It looks like they have an operation planned for – Right now? They should be serving the warrants and confiscating files in the administration offices even as we speak.”

“Thanks, Kevin!” Hotch started to close his phone. 

“Just one more thing, Sir,” Kevin spoke up.

“Yes?” Hotch asked impatiently.

“I checked the security tapes from the Health and Human Services garage,” Kevin reported. “And, I found the tape where someone was taking the license plate off what appears to be William Strauss’ van.”

“Did you identify him?” Hotch was anxious to get going.

“I ran the image through facial recognition,” Kevin explained. “It identified him as Kenny Patel, a minor criminal-type who currently works as a groundskeeper at the rehab center. He was also involved in Sean Chasten’s high school hacking prank.”

“That fills in some of the blanks,” Hotch told him. “Thanks, Kevin.” He closed his cell phone.

“Change of plans,” he announced. “It appears that Health and Human Services, along with some of our FBI agents, is currently raiding the rehab center, searching for evidence of Medicare fraud. Morgan, you take Reid, Blake, Rossi, and the sheriff’s deputies and begin clearing all the outbuildings. If Garcia and Strauss are out here, find them! JJ, you’re with me. We’re heading over to the center to talk to whoever is in charge of this operation.”

“No problem!” Morgan assured him. He turned to Rossi. “Have Anderson send a map of the property to your tablet,” he told the senior agent. “You can use that to check and make sure we aren’t missing anything.” He looked at the rest of the group. “Okay, guys, it appears the next building is right over there,” he pointed. “Let’s go!”


	44. Old Friends

With Hotch driving, he and JJ were soon pulling into the front drive of the rehab center. Exiting the SUV, he glanced around at the other government vehicles already pulled up in front of the building, and then headed through the front door.

“Sorry, Sir. You can’t come in here.” Stationed immediately inside the door were several agents.

“SSA Aaron Hotchner,” Hotch flashed his credentials.

“Agent Jennifer Jareau,” JJ did the same.

“I’m looking for the agent in charge,” Hotch stated.

“That would be me,” a woman’s voice came from behind them. 

Hotch turned around. “Sarah!” he exclaimed. “You’re running this operation?”

“Good to see you, too, Aaron,” the woman replied. “What are you doing out here?”

“It seems we have an overlap,” Hotch told her. 

“Aaron?” a man’s voice echoed down the hallway. “Aaron Hotchner? What the heck are you doing here?”

“Bill Strauss!” Hotch exclaimed. “Am I glad to see you!” He walked over to shake hands. “Is there someplace where JJ and I can speak with you and Sarah privately? You are both going to want to hear what I have to say.”

“There is an empty conference room down here,” Sarah led the way around the same corner Strauss had navigated slightly more than 24 hours earlier.


	45. Going Stir Crazy

Garcia and Strauss were measuring their cell. Up, down, across, and sideways. Anything to take their minds off their current situation.

“So,” Garcia stopped to summarize. “We have approximately 12 ft by 15 ft of floor space. The ceiling is approximately, what, 9 ft above us?” She craned her neck to look up.

“This is an unusual size for a room,” Strauss commented. “That suggests that it isn’t original construction. Maybe it was erected just to confine us.”

“Built just for us? With all the soundproofing and the recessed lighting?” Garcia mused. “You make it sound like someone has been planning this for quite some time.”

“Maybe not planned for us, specifically,” Strauss clarified. “But, they were planning on holding someone in here. Why else would they have that flap at the bottom of the door?”

Strauss turned her head and listened. “Do you hear something?” she asked.

“Probably rats!” Garcia shuddered. “Nasty things! Whoever has us here is probably planning on turning them loose on us by sending them through that flap in the door.”

“No, that’s not what I heard,” Strauss insisted. “It sounded like – I don’t know! We’ve been in here so long I’m probably hearing things.”

“Maybe someone is getting ready to push through more food or water?” Garcia suggested. “I’m starting to get hungry again. Do you think it’s lunch time?”

“More likely dinner,” Strauss guessed. “Although, they might be varying our schedule in order to keep us disoriented.”

“Okay, where were we in analyzing our quarters?” Garcia returned to their previous conversation. “What color would you recommend that we paint the walls? I would suggest a turquoise, myself.” She turned her head. “I do hear something! Maybe? It almost sounds like someone headed in this direction.”


	46. Attack!

Morgan looked through the trees at the building, which appeared at one time to have been a barn. He turned to consult Rossi. “What does the map show?” he asked.

“I’m still waiting on Anderson,” Rossi told him. “But, if it were me, I’d move right now. Make the element of surprise work in our favor.”

“Right!” Morgan agreed with him. “Let’s go, slowly and quietly everyone.” He led the way through the wet trees and bushes. Rossi glanced ruefully at his no longer shinny boots, and followed.

The group came to a halt behind a large clump of trees about 50 yards from the building. “It looks like that lean-to has recently been reinforced,” Blake pointed out. “Also, the small pedestrian door, to the left of the big garage door, has seen a lot of use lately.”

Rossi’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and answered. “Anderson? I’m putting you on speaker.”

“I’ve got the map up in front of me,” Anderson told the group. “It appears that the building directly in front of you is used for the storage of grounds keeping equipment. It was a part of the original homestead, but has apparently been updated.”

“Thanks, Anderson,” Rossi replied. “You are still sending a complete map to my tablet? Thanks!”

Rossi clicked off and turned to Morgan. “Try knocking on the front door?” he suggested.

“Need to cover the rear of the building,” the nearest deputy suggested.

“Right,” Morgan agreed with them both. He looked at the deputies. “You, you, and you, cover the rear,” he instructed them. “If anyone tries to come that way, stop them!”

“Blake and Rossi, try that door into the lean-to. See if you can sneak in through it without being heard. Once you get inside, the rest of us will try the front door and see if anyone’s home.”

Blake and Rossi quickly made their way to the lean-to, and pulled the door open. They found that the inside had been blocked by sheets of insulation, which quickly gave way when pushed and kicked. When had they gained entrance into the small room, the first thing they saw was a cell phone, smashed to pieces, laying on the dirt floor.

“Well, now we know what happened to Strauss’ phone,” Rossi commented.

“If she was here, she can’t be far,” Blake observed as they made their way through the other door and into the central room of the building.


	47. Found Them!

Once he was certain Rossi and Blake were safely inside the lean-to, Morgan signaled to the remainder of the group. Following him, Reid and the deputies all raced towards the small door in the front of the building. When they arrived, they spread out against the building on both sides of it.

“FBI! Come out with your hands up!” Morgan shouted.

They heard noises inside the building, but no one emerged.

“FBI – We are coming in!” Morgan shouted again. 

Morgan tried the door and, when he discovered it was locked, stood back and kicked it in. Followed by Reid and the deputies, he charged into the building. 

The group found themselves in a cavernous room filled with various pieces of grounds keeping equipment. Looking to their left, they saw Rossi and Blake emerging from the door into the lean-to.

“Strauss was here,” Rossi reported. “We found the remains of her cell phone.”

“Spread out,” Morgan instructed everyone. “We’re looking for any areas that have been partitioned off. There have to be some rooms that have been built out into this space. We are also looking for any other doors leading to the outside.”

As he spoke, the sound of a door slamming reverberated through the building.

“Reid!” Morgan yelled. “There must be a rear door.”

“I’m on it!” Reid replied dodging around some pieces of equipment and running towards the rear wall.

“Morgan, there appears to be a doorway in the far right-hand corner,” Blake observed. “Maybe - ?”

“On it,” Morgan replied. “Rossi, you’re with me. Blake, take the deputies, fan out, and cover the rest of this room.”

Moving swiftly, Morgan and Rossi approached the built-out area at the back of the building. Opening the door, they realized they were in an anteroom, with a second door directly in front of them. A movement to the right of them caught their eye and Morgan pounced.

He soon had his arms around a petite, dark haired woman who was kicking viciously.

“Put me down! Put me down! You don’t know who I am!” she screamed as he lifted her up off the floor.

“Yes I do,” Morgan snarled. “You’re Tina Chasten, and I remember seeing you with Kevin Lynch on more than one occasion.”

“Well, I work in Payroll, and I can mess up your paycheck majorly,” Tina threatened.

“Only if you go back to work,” Rossi replied, pulling out a set of handcuffs. “And, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon!” He made quick work of fastening her wrists behind her back.

“Morgan?” a voice came from the other side of the inner door. “My most favorite voice on the other end of the phone - Is that you?”

“Baby Girl!” Morgan yelled. “I’m on my way – Hang in there!”

Morgan looked at Tina. “Where is the key?” he demanded. Tina just smirked at him.

“Why wait?” Rossi asked, smiling. “Just kick it in!”

It took several tries, but Morgan soon had the door open, revealing both Garcia and Strauss on the other side.

“David Rossi,” Strauss remarked. “It took you long enough!” She promptly dissolved into tears.

Garcia charged out through the door. “Who is responsible for this?” she demanded. “Where is that evil piece of sh@?$%who grabbed us and locked us in here?”

She saw Tina standing against the wall. “You?” she shrieked and, before Morgan or Rossi could stop her, she slammed her fist into Tina’s nose. “That’s for ruining my weekend and making me mess up my make-up!” she declared.

Garcia then turned to Strauss and grabbed her hand. “Come on Erin, let’s go home!”


	48. And Two More

Morgan and Rossi escorted the three women back into the main room where they found that Blake and the deputies had secured the area. The back door slammed opened and everyone looked expectantly in that direction. The sight that greeted them was – Unexpected??

The group that filed in was led by a very wet and extremely muddy Dr. Spencer Reid. Following directly behind him were the three sheriff’s deputies, escorting two young men in handcuffs. 

“Spencer!” Blake was aghast. She had never seen her young colleague looking so disheveled. “What happened?”

Reid just shook his head, spraying dirty water into the air.

“He took a bit of a spill,” one of the deputies offered.

“There is a ravine out back, and the suspects ran into it,” another deputy filled in.

“The sides were muddy from the rain and there is a rather large puddle at the bottom,” the third deputy was trying hard not to smile.

“When he went in after the suspects, he slipped in the mud, slid down the side of the ravine, and landed in the puddle,” the second deputy finished.

“We got the suspects!” Reid declared defiantly.

“Who, exactly, do we have?” Rossi questioned.

“According to their IDs, we have here Sean Chasten and Kenny Patel,” the first deputy told them. “And, they are refusing to tell us why they were running.”

“I can fix that,” Morgan glared at the two.


	49. Relief

“Aaron, you’re telling me that my ex-wife and your technical analyst are being held captive somewhere in this building?” Bill Strauss couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“Based on our evidence, that’s what we think,” Hotch told him. “You have confirmed that Sean Chasten is involved in the fraud?”

“Oh, yes! There’s no doubt about that,” Bill replied. “He and his friend Kenny Patel are in well over their heads. And, we are still trying to determine how many other ‘person or persons unknown’ are involved with this scam. It has been going on for several years now and involves millions of taxpayer dollars.” 

“We are hoping we can convince Sean and Kenny to turn government witness and give us further evidence against the owners of the rehab center,” Sarah added. “Neither of them are hard core criminals and, as far as we can tell, they are probably the weakest links.”

“Your people are currently concentrating on confiscating the files and computers?” JJ clarified.

“As of right now, yes,” Bill confirmed. 

“However, under the circumstances, let me get my people started on clearing the building,” Sarah suggested. “Starting with the basement?”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Hotch agreed. 

As Sarah stood up to go talk with her team, Hotch’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “Morgan!” he answered. “How are things going?”

Sarah stopped to listen.

“You found them and they are unharmed?” Hotch sounded relived. “What happened? Oh! Sorry I missed that! Where are you now? Okay, we’re on our way!”

Hotch turned to the others. “Morgan and the team found Erin and Garcia in one of the outbuildings, and they are both just fine,” he told them. “They also found Tina, Sean, and Kenny. It seems Tina is now sporting a broken nose, compliments of Garcia. EMS has been called, mostly as a precautionary measure, and everyone is waiting for them to arrive.”

“I’ll bet Garcia is complaining like crazy!” JJ commented. “She probably wants to go straight home!”

“Erin probably isn’t too happy either,” Bill contributed.

“Want to ride over with us?” Hotch offered Bill Strauss as he took out the keys to the SUV.

“Thanks, but I need to leave some instructions with my people here, and then I’ll follow in my own vehicle,” Bill told him. “I’ll head straight to the hospital and then, when Erin has been released, I can take her home.”

“We’ll see you over there,” Hotch assured him.


	50. Let's Get Out Of Here!

As the team stood watching, the EMTs load a loudly complaining Garcia and an irate Erin Strauss into the ambulance.

Morgan walked over to the bedraggled Reid. “Listen, kid,” he told the still dripping young agent seriously. “I know I tease you about a lot of things, but I want you to know that I would never, ever tease you about Christine. She is one fine lady, and I’m glad she’s making you happy.”

Reid looked at him. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Not that I don’t trust you, Morgan, but past history has proven – “

“I am serious,” Morgan assured him. He suddenly smiled and punched Reid on the arm, “Besides, if you break up with her, who is going to feed us?”

Reid smiled back. “She is good at that, isn’t she?” he replied.

Morgan then walked over to where Hotch was standing. “I just have one question for you, Boss Man,” he addressed his superior.

“That is?” Hotch looked at him.

“You knew they weren’t in the rehab center all along, didn’t you?” Morgan questioned. “How?”

“My gut told me,” Hotch replied solemnly. “And, there are some days you just have to trust your gut.” He turned and headed towards the SUVs.

As the ambulance began its trek to the local hospital, the team began climbing into their vehicles to follow it. Reid, mopping his face with a towel from the ambulance, followed Morgan over to the SUV Morgan had been driving.

“Reid, man, you had better get into the other vehicle. You’re going to get everyone in here dirty,” Morgan told the young agent.

 **“WHAT???”** Reid was too outraged to say anything more.

“I’m picking my Baby Girl up from the hospital,” Morgan told him. “I can’t have her getting dirt all over her precious self!”

“That’s okay, Reid. Over here,” Rossi called from the other vehicle. “A little dirt never hurt anything, right Aaron?” He turned to glare at Hotchner.

“Oh, Yes, Right,” Hotch replied as Reid crawled into the back seat. He looked at the still dripping young man. “Don’t you want to go home first and get cleaned up?” he suggested hopefully.

“NO!! I’m already late for my date with Christine!” Reid declared. “It is Valentine’s Day!”

Hotch shook his head as he put the vehicle into gear. “I’m sure Morgan and Bill Strauss can handle everything at the hospital,” he commented. “Let’s deliver you to your date.”

“That was a busy place with a lot of high-profile clients,” Rossi observed as they pulled away. “It’s going to take them a long time to go through all those records. And, they may never find out exactly how many people were involved in the fraud.”

In the other vehicle JJ commented dryly, “Well, I guess I can guarantee that in the future **that** place won’t be listed as a preferred provider on our health insurance.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't give up - I am getting back to the Reid/Christine interaction!!


	51. The Wrath of Christine

As he merged onto the freeway, Hotch glanced over at Rossi. “Better call Christine and let her know we are on the way,” he suggested. “She’ll need to make sure the front gate is open for us.”

Rossi pulled out his cell phone and pushed a button. “Hello, it’s me,” he responded to Christine’s answer. “We’re on our way back with Reid.”

He hesitated a minute to listen before continuing. “Yes, we got both Garcia and Chief Strauss back and they are both okay,” he filled her in. “Just one thing – Reid did have a small accident and he got a little dirty.”

He listened again. “Oh, yes, he will clean up just fine,” he assured Christine. “Give us about –“ He looked over at Hotch who mouthed “half an hour” – “Half an hour and we’ll be at your front gate.”

“See you then!”

When they arrived at The Institute, the front gate was open and they drove right in. As Hotch brought the SUV to a stop under the portico, Christine came rushing out the front door. Rossi couldn’t help but notice that with her hair down and no make-up on she looked like what she really was, a very attractive grad student.

Christine pulled opened the back door of the vehicle and gasped when she saw Reid. “Oh My Gosh, Spencer! What happened to you? Are you alright?” she asked as he climbed slowly and carefully out of the back seat.

“Sorry about that,” Hotch told her. “He insisted we bring him right back here, regardless of the condition he was in. He kept reminding us that he has a date with you and that he intends to keep it.”

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Reid announced.

“Oh My Dear!” Christine was stupefied. “Spencer, you’re going to catch pneumonia! Do you still have your key card for the suite?”

Reid silently pulled the card out of his pocket and held it up so Christine could see it.

“Great!” she told him. “Why don’t you go down to the suite, take a hot shower, and get cleaned up? I’ll be down shortly with something to eat. I need to talk with Dave and Aaron.”

For once, Reid didn’t have anything to say. He just slowly limped his way up the walk and through the front door.

Rossi smiled at Christine. “Well,” he said brightly. “We had best be on our way! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

 **“Whoa! That’s It Buster! Stop! Halt! Cease And Desist From Moving!”** Christine’s voice was getting progressively louder as she spoke. “I have a bone to pick with the two of you! A very big bone!”

“We know – We know!” Rossi held up his hand as if to ward off her verbal attack.

“We are really sorry!” Hotch sincerely added. “You have to believe us, we had no idea that Reid didn’t know what you do here.”

“We have all apologized to him,” Rossi assured her. “And, we are now formally apologizing to you.”

“What about the rest of the team?” Christine wanted to make sure all bases were covered. “Did they think this was some sort of sick joke to play on Spencer?”

“No – Never!” Hotch assured her. “I would never allow that to happen with my people. In our job, we need to be able to trust each other and something like that would irreparably ruin that trust.”

“You’re sure?” Christine quizzed him.

“I know my team,” Hotch assured her. “And, they would never, ever do anything like that to Reid!”

“Well, okay,” Christine told him grudgingly. “I’ll buy your story – For now. Why don’t you go home, call Beth, and wish her a Happy Valentine’s Day?”

“I’m planning on doing just that,” Hotch told her with a smile. “I’ll see you soon?”

“That depends on Spencer,” Christine reminded him.

“And, you, Dave,” she continued. “You can also go home, call whomever, and wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Rossi smiled at her sadly. “I’m an old man,” he said. “Who would I call?”

Rossi thought he could detect tears in Christine’s eyes as she replied, simply, “Me. You could call me.” She turned and walked back into The Institute.


	52. Finally!

Before heading to the suite, Christine stopped in the kitchen to pick up a pizza and some soft drinks her staff had waiting for her. When she opened the suite’s door, she could hear the shower running and see the flowers Spencer had brought her still sitting on the end table. Smiling to herself, she put the pizza on the coffee table and then went into the kitchen area to collect napkins, plates, and glasses.

As she was arranging the utensils on the coffee table, Reid came out of the bathroom wearing one of The Institute’s white bathrobes, with his initials monogramed on it in royal blue.

“You look all washed and fluffed,” Christine smiled happily at him.

“This was hanging in the bathroom. It has my initials on it!” Reid sounded truly amazed. “I’ve never had anything like this!”

“I was hoping you would like it,” Christine walked over to him to examine the robe more closely. “One of the girls does embroidery in her spare time and I had her make it up for you.”

She looked up at Reid. “You smell good, too.”

Reid looked confused. “There was some new kind of body wash in the bathroom,” he said. “It wasn’t the same stuff as when we were here last time.”

“Yes, I know,” Christine told him. “I hope you like it. I got it just for you.”

Reid sniffed and then commented, “It smells – different.”

Christine laughed at his description. “According to the manufacturer, it smells like warm cypress. I don’t know what cypress smells like, warm, cold, or otherwise - but it reminded me of you. Now, let’s sit down and have some pizza while I go through all these bags and packages you brought.”

She moved to sit on the couch, but Reid remained standing where he was. As she curiously glanced at him, he pulled a jeweler’s box out of the bathrobe’s pocket and offered it to her. “Maybe you should open this first. It’s kind of late. It was supposed to be your Christmas present.”

“Christmas?” Christine exclaimed. “Spencer, that was months ago.”

“Fifty-two days,” Reid corrected her. “I’ve wanted to give it to you, but the timing never seemed right.”

Christine hesitated a moment before accepting the obviously expensive present. She opened the box and gasped. “Spencer, a falling star! Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!! Put it on me!”

She took the pendent out of the box, opened the clasp, and handed it to him to fasten around her neck. As she turned her back to him, pulling her hair up and out of the way, she said, “I can’t believe you actually found something like this.”

“I saw it in the jewelry store window and it seemed appropriate,” Reid told her as he fastened the clasp.

“I remember our discussion about falling stars,” Christine told him. “That night when we went up in the University’s Observatory. I thought they were gorgeous and beautiful and romantic, and you, with help from the Astronomy students, told me that they were just meteors self-immolating.”

She turned around so he could admire the pendent. “What do you think?” she asked before throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Reid wasn’t a hugger by nature, but he had been on the receiving end of many hugs, most recently from Garcia and JJ. He immediately knew this one was different. He could feel her breath warm on his neck, and smell her hair. He could feel her breasts pressed against him. As he hugged back he closed his eyes, and he could imagine – He wasn’t sure what.

Christine pulled away and smiled at him as she put her hand up to stroke the side of his face. Then, her cell phone rang.

“Darn, this had better be important,” she said as she picked it up. “Yes?”

“George – Hi!. Glad you made it back,” she answered the call. “Yes, the vent fan over the stove area is working. I had the contractor demonstrate it for me before he left on Friday.”

She took a deep breath and waited, listening.

“All the instruction books are in a binder on the desk in your office. I checked everything myself,” she was starting to sound frustrated.

Again, she listened.

“Okay – Okay! I’m on my way,” she concluded the conversation and turned off the phone.

“Problems?” Reid asked, concerned.

“Hopefully, nothing serious,” Christine told him as she headed toward the door. “I should be right back. Get started on the pizza while I’m gone. You’re probably starving to death!”

Unfortunately, once Christine arrived in the newly remodeled kitchen, pacifying the head chef took longer than she had anticipated. She was forced to go over all the repairs and updates that had been carried out in his absence, and then had to review all the food supplies that had been delivered. By the time she finally got back to the suite, Reid was curled up, sound asleep, on the couch.

Smiling and shaking her head, Christine went into the bedroom, got a blanket, and draped it over him. After dropping a kiss on the top of his head, she settled down on an end chair, opened up her laptop, and began editing a journal article she was preparing for publication. Several hours later, when Reid still hadn’t woken up, she went into the bedroom, changed into her nightgown, and crawled into bed by herself.

When Reid woke up the next morning, he was alone in the suite and there was a handwritten note on the coffee table –

_Good Morning Spencer! (Christine had written)_

_We have a group of students coming in at noon, so I had to get to work making sure everything is ready for them. When you’re ready for breakfast, just call Room Service. Your breakfast has already been ordered, and they are expecting your call. Let me know when you are ready to leave, and I’ll come down to say “Good Bye” and make sure the car is ready to take you to the station._

_I talked to Aaron, and no one is expecting you at the office before 1:00 p.m. So, take your time._

_Christine_

_P.S. Don’t bother shaving – I love the scruff!!!_

Lying on the paper, were several candy hearts reading – My Boy, Crazy 4 You, and Dare Ya. Reid carefully read them as he gathered them up to put in his messenger bag. Knowing Christine, he was willing to bet the messages were not a random choice.


End file.
